A new lease on life
by Sereven
Summary: Sadness, solitude, suffering. She had seen it all, felt it all. Her life was full of deprivations. Even the moment of her greatest triumph almost was her last. But in her final moments, the bane of her existence gives her a new reason to live. A new lease on life and a chance to live the life she deserved. AU, time-travel On Hiatus
1. Prologue

**Prologue: The demon's gift**

The world had become silent. So insufferably silent. With the end of the war also came the end of everything else. Nothing had remained. Every country, every village, every person... all swept away by the war; a world drowned in its own blood.

And only one person had persevered, though she was barely alive after the final fight. Akahana Uzumaki; former Jinchuriki of the Kyubi no Yoko, weapon of Konoha... there were many ways to describe her, but none could grasp what she really was and what she really felt. All her life she had served others until they betrayed her in the end. But despite that, she still continued fighting, never backing down until the last of her enemies had fallen.

But the price was high... too high. She was too late to safe anyone. Not even those precious few that knew her true self had survived. Now she was alone, well not entirely alone as the root of all her suffering had escaped its confines. In her weakened state she could do nothing to prevent the Kyubi from escaping the nearly broken seal. Oh the irony. Now she lay there, slowly dieing from her wounds and the demon watched her with what must be a gleeful expression. But she couldn't bring herself to care. Her mind was already clouded by the fever that resulted from her untreated wounds.

"After all those years of incarceration, all those years of watching you grow from a pathetic human to a worthy kit, it all ends here. An unfitting end for one who has endured so much and almost gained her dream." The demon spoke with contempt as he looked at Akahana's wounded form on the ground.

"Shut up, stupid fox. Just let me die in peace after you have taken everything from me..." Akahana mumbled somberly.

The demon let out a dark chuckle as he heard her words. "So this is how you wish to end your existence? In blood and mud, not even close to the ruins of your destroyed home? You disappoint me, kit."

"What do you want from me? You are free, just go!" She replied loudly. "Not long and I will finally have peace..."

"Pathetic. So in the end they managed to do what Danzo and his torturers tried for so long. They broke your spirit, your will to live."

"There is nothing left to live for... they are all gone... all dead..." Akahana mumbled among sobs and tears. "Ever since you entered my life, you have taken everything from me."

The demon watched the wounded girl as she leaned against a tree, a hand holding her wounded side in a feeble attempt to stem the blood loss. But the act was more an instinct then an attempt to preserve her life.

"What happened to the kit that fought through the harsh childhood in the Root program? What happened to the kit that learned to live a normal life and made friends with so many people even though the majority of her village despised her? What happened to the kit that fought against all those enemies to the bitter end?" The demon growled angrily at the girl.

"She's gone... and all that is left is the dieing husk here. Just let me die and do whatever you want with your life... there is no one left to oppose you." Akahana replied with a loud sob. "Just why are you here? Do you really have to mock me in my last hours?"

"I hate you." The demon replied with a malicious smirk, showing his sharp teeth to the girl. "But you also gained my respect for all you have suffered through in your life. Only few can claim to have suffered this much and remain sane. But you continued on your path, never giving up. And now I see your spirit crushed; you giving up after you finally defeated all opposition. It enrages me to see this kind of hypocrisy."

"Deal with it, demon... it is not like you can change it even if you wanted to. My reason to live is gone and not even you can revive the dead." Akahana replied with a mocking smile.

"No, but I can force you to live on." The demon replied with a chuckle.

Akahana looked at Kyubi in shock at first, but it soon morphed into anger. "Do you always have to do what don't want? Is this some form of sick amusement for you`?"

"See this as my way of repaying you for eighteen years of incarceration." The demon replied with a menacing growl. "And don't even think about sicking your toads on me, I've replaced your contract with something much more useful for me to keep you in line."

"Damn you, Kyubi. Just let me die already. Let it all end." Akahana shouted out in anger before her other words became an incoherent mumbling and her mind lost itself in a fever induced haze.

"One day you will thank me for this, kit." The demon said with a chuckle before he drew a seal on the ground with a claw and empowered it. But Akahana was already too far gone to realize what he was doing, or to see the shimmering light of the demon's Jutsu as it engulfed her.


	2. Enigma Part I

**Chapter 1: Enigma**

It had been a long day for Jiraiya. His C-Rank mission with his Genin team was rather rough. Though they succeeded with their delivery to the Kusa Daimyo, they had to deal with more bandits than usual and Jiraiya was sure that this wasn't just a coincidence. But finally they could return to Konoha. Currently he was ticked off and tired, so he and his team had stopped to set up camp for the night somewhere half way between Konoha and the capital.

"Jiraiya-sensei, the tents are set up." Minato Namikaze told his teacher before he returned to his teammates in a chipper mood.

"The kid sure is in a good mood today." Jiraiya commented with a chuckle before he took out a notebook and a pencil to write down some new ideas he had for his next book. He chuckled when he reread some of his newest ideas, oh he couldn't get home fast enough to continue writing his masterpiece.

He was leaning against a tree as he watched the last sun-rays disappear when a large explosion shook the ground. A cloud of dusk could be seen near his current position as he watched with a frown. The last thing he wanted this day was another fight, but whatever caused this explosion, he would have to find out. It was his duty as a Konoha shinobi.

"Sensei!" Minato came running with his team, all of them looking eager to find out what caused the sudden commotion.

"Minato, you and the others stay here, while I investigate the explosion." Jiraiya ordered quickly before he took off into the direction of the dust cloud. His students looked disgruntled to be left behind, but they complied with their sensei's orders for the moment.

As Jiraiya reached the site of the explosion he saw utter destruction. The trees around had been blown away, a large crater was all that remained of this part of the forest. He couldn't imagine what could have caused this kind of destruction, but his thoughts changed quickly when he saw someone lying in the center of the crater.

He slowly approached the body, but stopped when he saw the person stand up. He was surprised when he saw that it was a young woman, a kunoichi judging by her attire. But her black clothes were in tatters, her long red hair in disarray, blood dripping from numerous wounds. The young woman was gravely injured and barely able to stand, nearly crumbling several times as she tried to stand tall.

Jiraiya wanted to hurry over to check on her, but stopped when she suddenly gripped her head and screamed loudly. "Kyubi! What have you done... to me..."

Jiraiya's eyes widened when he heard this, knowing full well that the demon was currently safely sealed inside Kushina Uzumaki. There was no way that this woman could have gotten into contact... unless... He knew he had to find out. Whatever this woman knew about the demon, it would be important to keep that knowledge hidden from Konoha's enemies.

He stepped closer to her, but she ignored his presence completely as she still clutched her head. Only when he was merely a few feet away from her was when her head suddenly snapped into his direction.

"NO!" She suddenly yelled... "It can't be you... this has to be another trick..." She started to get frantic at this point... "This is his doing! He revived the dead again... but he should be dead... you should be dead!"

Jiraiya looked worriedly at the woman as he got into a defensive stance just in case. "Miss... calm down, maybe I can help you." He tried to talk to her but it was no use.

"I won't yield to you... this time I will make sure that you never return! So come out of hiding Tobi, face me yourself instead of sending your undead slaves..." She pulled out her katana before she bit her own finger and slammed her hand on the ground to summon her faithful companions. But instead of toads there were suddenly two foxes at her side, both growling dangerously at Jiraiya.

"Listen, I am not your enemy." Jiraiya said again, but the woman wouldn't listen. He could only evade as she send wind blades at him with a swing of her weapon.

* * *

At the edge of the crater were Minato and his teammates, all three watching their sensei fight against that strange woman and her fox summons. Minato couldn't help but watch in fascination as the woman attacked in fluid motions, her wind Jutsus and sword attacks interwoven like a deadly dance that his own sensei had trouble to counter. He wondered who she was and why she was fighting his sensei...

Meanwhile Jiraiya was more and more forced into a defensive fighting style as the woman attacked without a single pause in between her attacks. But he knew he only had to wait, as her strength was leaving her quickly. He was astounded that she even lasted this long with her apparent injuries. He was sure that there were even more wounds that he could not even see at the moment.

And just as he had predicted she suddenly dropped to one knee, panting heavily as sweat and blood dripped from her. She glared at him with glassy eyes before she finally lost consciousness. The foxes remained with her for some more moments before they disappeared in puffs of smoke.

Jiraiya let out a relieved sigh when the fight was over. He had no idea who this woman was, but she would have been a very serious threat had she not been wounded before the fight started. Then he let out a groan before he called his students, "Minato, I've told you and the others to wait at the camp..."

As he said that his three students jumped down into the crater and stopped next to their sensei, all of them looking rather sheepish. "Sorry, sensei. We were just curious..."

"You three will be the death of me someday..." Jiraiya said as he shook his head slightly.

"Sensei?" Minato asked. "Who is she?"

"I've got no idea, but she is one hell of a fighter. Not many would even be able to stand with her wounds, let alone fight." Jiraiya said with a somber expression.

But before Jiraiya could stop his student, Minato had already walked over to the wounded woman and brushed the hair out of her face with his hand. "Sensei, she is burning up with fever."

"Hm, that would explain her insane babbling. She must have been in delirium." Jiraiya commented as he joined his student and started searching the woman for something that might give him a clue to her identity. After some moments he finally pulled out a half destroyed dog tag from one of her pockets. Not much was readable except for her name. "Akahana Uzumaki... what the..." Jiraiya mumbled in surprise. When he looked at her he couldn't deny that she did look like the other Uzumaki's he had met so far. The exact same red hair and the seals he could see on her bare arms indicated that she at least had some proficiency in Fuinjutsu.

"Uzumaki? Sensei do you think she might be related to Kushina?" Minato asked with a curious expression.

"Maybe... but the Uzumaki clan has many members in Uzushiogakure. But the question currently is why this woman is here and who has battered her like this..." Jiraiya replied with a frown. This was mysterious and he did not like these kind of mysteries. Why was she here? Does she belong to a village? There was no hitai-ate, but dog tags are only handed out to shinobi in times of war... And why does the dog tag look like it had been molten?

"We must help her, sensei. Otherwise you can only wonder where to bury her." Minato stated with a worried tone. If this woman was somehow connected to Kushina, then he did not want her to die. Even after she attacked his sensei she only did so in her delirium, so there was no reason to hate her.

"We can't do much here. I will send a toad to alert Tsunade, hopefully she can help the girl as soon as we arrive. You guys will break camp. We will hurry back to Konoha as fast as possible." Jiraiya decided quickly. He was too curious now to let this woman die. She would have to answer a lot of questions should she survive the next day.

* * *

The guards at Konoha's gate couldn't hide their surprise when they saw Jiraiya, one of their most prominent shinobi, hurry towards them with an unconscious woman in his arms. At first they tried to stop him, to inquire who this woman was, but the man ignored them as he stormed past them with a grim look on his face.

Then the Jiraiya's team appeared shortly after him at the gate and stopped for the formalities. "Say, kids, who was that girl? Has Jiraiya done something perverted again and shocked her so much that she fainted?" One of the guards asked with a grin.

"Nope, not this time." Minato replied quickly. "We found her some hours ago; she was badly hurt and in delirium. She actually attacked sensei before she collapsed from her wounds."

"And he thinks it is safe to bring someone who has attacked him directly to Konoha?" The guard asked with an expression of disbelieve.

"Nah it's okay. She is an Uzumaki and only attacked him because of she was in delirium... everything should be alright. And if not then sensei will be able to stop her." Minato answered confidently.

"If you say so... still I have to report this to the Hokage. You guys can go ahead and follow your wayward sensei." The guard said with a sigh before he set out to find the leader of the village.

* * *

Jiraiya looked rather peeved as he waited in the hospital for the doctors to finish the treatment of the strange Uzumaki girl he had found. He wondered what her story would be, but right now the doctors were not even sure that she would survive the next few hours. He wanted to get answers to the questions this girl had raised. What did she know about the Kyubi? Why was she hurt like this? And most importantly, where did she come from in the first place? Was she from Uzushio or someplace else?

But his musing found a quick end when the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, approached him with a stern expression on his face. It was apparent that the village leader was not amused by Jiraiya's latest decisions.

"Sensei..." Jiraiya said somewhat apprehensive.

"Tell me, Jiraiya, why you deemed it fit to bring someone who has attacked you back to the village without even giving me one word of prior warning? I expected better from you, what if she had woken up and caused havoc as soon as you entered the village?" The Hokage scolded his former student sternly.

Jiraiya sighed before he replied worriedly, "I'm sorry, sensei. My mind was elsewhere at that moment..."

The Hokage's expression softened a bit when he saw the repentant look on Jiraiya's face. "Just what was on your mind that you would disregard the most basic rules of safety? Why were you so intent on saving this girl?"

Jiraiya looked around with a suspicious look on his face before he leaned closer to his former teacher. "That girl, she knows something about the demon... though she spoke in delirium I can't shake the feeling that the Kyubi is in some form connected to her plight."

The Hokage's expression darkened when he heard that. He was aware that the other villages knew that Konoha had the demon, but so far he was proud that none of their enemies knew anything more then that.

"Sensei, she had this with her." Jiraiya said as he took out the half destroyed dog tag and handed it to the Hokage.

Sarutobi looked intently at the half molten piece of metal, especially the name engraved on it. "She is an Uzumaki?" He asked with a suspicious look on his face.

"She sure looks like one." Was Jiraiya's only reply.

"I will have to send our allies a message, maybe they know what to do with her. Uzushio is constantly warring with the surrounding nations, it wouldn't be unusual that they would hand out dog tags to their shinobi before they send them to battle..."

"But why was she in the heart of our country then? Was she on her way to Konoha as a messenger and was attacked?" Jiraiya wondered loudly.

"We will have to wait for her to wake up if we want to find out..." Sarutobi replied with a frown on his face. Something was not right and with the current political situation he had to be careful. War was looming on the horizon once more and he had no intention to involve Konoha in any war when the wounds from the last had not even healed yet.

"Then you will have to be patient, sensei." Someone said from behind Sarutobi. As he turned around he saw another of his former students, Tsunade Senju, the current head medic of the hospital. The woman looked exhausted after treating the girl Jiraiya had found. "Her wounds were grave and countless. I don't even want to imagine what horror she had gone through."

"Will she survive?" The Hokage asked somberly.

"Yes, but I can't say when she will wake up. Her blood loss was nearly critical and with her Chakra exhaustion her self healing was severely limited. Once we replenished some of her Chakra her wounds started to heal immensely fast, but without help she would not have seen the end of this day." Tsunade said in a weary tone.

"This is worrisome. But we can't wait for her to wake up. We need answers soon. If she was fighting someone within the borders of our country then we need to know now and not whenever she is fit enough to wake up." The Hokage replied.

"You've got no other chance. We can't wake her up for some reason. Believe me we tried, but it was in vain. All we can do is wait." Tsunade replied with a miffed expression.

"That won't do. I will send for a member of the Yamanaka Clan, maybe with their mind walking technique we will get our answers sooner." Sarutobi said determinedly. "Konoha might be in danger, but until we know for sure you will tell no one without my express permission, is that clear?" The Hokage asked his former students sternly. Both merely nodded before the Hokage turned around and left Jiraiya and Tsunade alone.

* * *

The next day Minato and his teammates were sitting in their favorite restaurant, a BBQ-Diner run by the Akimichi Clan, to celebrate the success of their latest mission. But their mood was not as cheerful as it would usually be, mostly caused by the events of the last day.

"Heard anything from sensei so far?" Minato asked his teammates.

"Nope, as far as I heard he spent all his time since we returned at the hospital." One of his teammates replied with a thoughtful look.

"Pah, he shouldn't have brought her back. She attacked him, so why the fuss. She is an enemy and we all know what to do with those." Replied the only girl on the team.

"Come on, Saki, don't be like that. That girl wasn't really herself..." Minato said.

"Like I care. She is still an enemy and a threat. Don't you agree, Ichiro?" Saki asked her other teammate pointedly.

The boy only looked rather uncomfortable between the other two before he replied, "I'd rather not take sides..." This caused Saki to mutter 'coward' under her breath.

"Well it is sensei's decision, so who are we to question him." Minato pointed out after a short moment of silence.

"The only reason why you are interested in that girl is because she is an Uzumaki. We all know that you would use any chance to get closer to Kushina because of your fascination with the tomato..." Saki said rather scathingly.

"You are misreading things here. Of course I keep in mind that Kushina would be angry if someone of her clan was killed by our sensei, but..." Before he could finish his sentence he heard a loud yell from the entrance of the diner where Kushina had entered with her own team just in the right moment to hear 'our sensei' and 'killing someone from her clan'. Before Minato knew what was going on she had already rushed over to them and grabbed his collar.

"What are you talking about your sensei killing other Uzumakis, Minato-kun." She spoke with a cold voice that promised pain should he lie to her; the honorific at the end of his name more mocking him then anything else.

"There goes the Red hot-blooded Habanero again." Saki muttered as she rolled her eyes at the red-heads actions towards Minato.

"Just calm down, Kushina-chan." Minato said with a placating gesture, but it was no use. "When we returned from our mission yesterday we encountered a heavily wounded girl; she attacked sensei but broke down due to her wounds... apparently she is an Uzumaki..." Minato elaborated quickly.

"And where is this girl now? Don't tell me that you left her to die in the wild." Kushina growled angrily. She rarely met any members of her clan these days, but she still felt a deep connection to all of them and wouldn't allow that one them suffers.

"Hospital..." Was all Minato could say before Kushina rushed off.

"Good work, idiot. We don't even know if we are allowed to tell others about all of this. Should our enemies capture you we are doomed, you can't even protect a secret when she gives you a harmless death glare." Saki said with a condemning look at Minato.

"I believe it was you who started this discussion..."

"Shut up, Ichiro." Saki barked at the other boy.

* * *

At the hospital Jiraiya stood in the hospital room of the girl together with Tsunade, the Hokage and a blond teenager that the Yamanaka clan had sent to do the mind walking. All four of them were apprehensive, but at the same time their curiosity was telling them to go on and finally get the answers they were seeking.

"You can begin now, Inoichi. Tsunade will keep an eye on you and the girl, so don't worry about that." The Hokage said with an impassive tone, his eyes still trained on the unconscious girl in the bed before him.

"Of course, Hokage-sama." Inoichi answered dutifully before he walked closer to the bed. He marveled who this girl was. He couldn't deny that she was beautiful, but something was strange. He had only been told some mere basics about this mission for the Hokage. But he was not told why the Hokage and two Sannin were personally present for this 'interrogation'. After a short moment of hesitation he placed his hand on the girl's forehead and used his clan's mind walking Jutsu to sort through her memories.

"Do you really think this will be alright, sensei? The boy is a bit young, I wonder why the Yamanaka's did not send a more experienced member." Jiraiya spoke in a hushed voice towards his mentor.

"Inoichi was the best choice. He has shown great skill with his clan Jutsus, especially a rare aptitude for the mind walking techniques used for interrogation." The Hokage replied evenly as he watched the boy.

Inoichi meanwhile had suddenly started to pale and sweat as he continued his track through the girl's memories. Tsunade watched these changes with a worried frown before she stopped Inoichi to check up on him.

"You better don't overdo it, Inoichi-san. Sit down and take some deep breaths." Tsunade instructed him.

"Tell me what you have seen so far, Inoichi." The Hokage ordered sternly.

"War, pain, death... only short glimpses every time. Pictures of a harsh life..." He couldn't help but pity the girl, she had gone through a lot. He wondered how her past had affected her personality.

"Anything more distinct? Did you see where this has happened? Any indication where she has come from?" Sarutobi asked again.

"Only very short glimpses. I saw the hitai-ate from Amegakure..." Inoichi said.

"Ame? Are you sure?" Jiraiya asked surprised. He was not very fond of that particular hidden village, but he also remembered some good times from the last war; the time he had spent with those orphans before he returned to Konoha.

"Yes, but there was a slash through the symbol. Those people she fought in that memory were missing nin." Inoichi stated. "But there was something else. A memory... a picture burned into her mind. A fight against a man with a black coat and an orange mask that had only one hole for one eye... but it wasn't his overall appearance, but the eye..."

"What about the eye?" Jiraiya asked impatiently.

"It held some form of the Sharingan. But I have never seen a Sharingan that looked quite like that before..." This shocked all other persons in the room. This would mean that whatever had happened involved at least one member of the Uchiha clan; this could only mean trouble in the long run. The Uchiha would deny any connection to the girls past and defend themselves against such allegations vigorously.

"Continue with your Jutsu, Inoichi. We need to know more before we can act." The Hokage ordered sternly. Inoichi just nodded and resumed his place next to the bed once more. But when he reached out to touch the girl's forehead, her hand shot up and grabbed his wrist, surprising Inoichi and forcing the other three occupants of the room to assume aggressive stances.

"Don't." She said softly, her voiced sounding weak and strained. She slowly opened her eyes and looked intently at the teen who stood next to her bed. "There are things that you shouldn't burden your mind with. Some things should never be seen again." She let go of Inoichi's wrist and looked around the room, seeing the other occupants. When she saw the other three persons her eyes widened in disbelieve and she paled drastically.

"Ah dammit, don't tell me she is in shock now." Tsunade said as she quickly walked over to her patient to examine her current condition.

"Tell us your name." The Hokage ordered the girl with a dark frown.

"Akahana..." She said after some hesitation, still looking in disbelieve at the persons around her. Jiraiya, Tsunade, the third Hokage... all of them had died... why were they here now; looking much younger then she ever remembered seeing them? Had she died? Was this the afterlife? "Akahana Uzumaki."

"Are you a member of the Uzumaki Clan from Uzushiogakure?" The Hokage continued, his expression remaining a stern mask; his gaze ice cold as he regarded the girl.

"I am from the Uzumaki Clan, but I have never been to that village... neither have I ever met any other living Uzumaki." Akahana replied with great apprehension. She still tried to understand the situation she was in at that moment. But she quickly realized that minimalistic answers would be the best choice at the moment. Maybe this was some form of Genjutsu to extract information from her.

"You were in a sorry condition when we found you. Who hurt you like that? Were you fighting?" Jiraiya asked to sate his own curiosity.

"Yes. I was fighting... a powerful foe..." Akahana replied curtly.

"Who were you fighting against?" Jiraiya was pressing on.

"Akatsuki." Akahana replied almost on instinct, not thinking about what she was saying. She had not meant to say this. It was already too much information she had given away.

Jiraiya's eyes widened when he heard that. He knew what Akatsuki was, hell he was the one who trained the three children that had founded that organization. But now things made a little more sense. This was why Inoichi had seen Ame hitai-ate in the girl's memories.

"Are you an Ame kunoichi? Do you work for Hanzo?" Jiraiya asked.

"No... I do not belong to any village... I have always been nothing more then a weapon. And I have never met this Hanzo person." Akahana replied with a sad voice. Why had she shared that personal fact about herself? In the worst case they would just use her like all other people had done in the past.

"Just where do you belong to? Where did you come from? Which country? Which organization?" Jiraiya asked in frustration, but he got no more answers. Instead of answering Akahana held her head in obvious pain, causing Tsunade to bristle.

"That is enough interrogation for now. She is still weak and needs rest. Out with all of you. You can continue this later when I have assured that her condition is good enough for extensive questioning." Tsunade ordered all three men as she looked at her patient with worry.

"We will continue this later." The Hokage conceded reluctantly. At least what they had found out so far was of some use. They could link her wounds and fights to Ame, but that was worrisome on its own. Sarutobi had no interest in continuing the battles from the Second Shinobi World War, the fighting in Ame had been the bloodiest of the entire war.

"Rest for now. I will come back later for another examination. Right now you need a lot of rest; time will correct most of your physical problems at the moment." Tsunade said with a friendly smile before she left the room to follow the men.

The other three stood outside, talking quietly. "Jiraiya, if you have any means to do it, I want you to contact those children you have trained in Ame. See if they know something about this Akahana Uzumaki."

"Of course, sensei. I'll get right to it." Jiraiya replied before he quickly walked away from the group.

"Good. Now Inoichi, I expect you know that this entire interrogation must remain a secret for now." The teen nodded when he heard this. "I will send for you should we need you again." The Hokage said impassively. At this Inoichi knew that he had been dismissed and left the village leader alone.

* * *

Inside the hospital room Akahana sat on her bed, wondering what had happened to her in the time she had been unconscious. The last she remembered was her fight against Tobi... then her conversation with Kyubi after he had escaped... just what had the demon done?

She yelped a bit in surprise when suddenly a small fox kit with golden fur appeared before her in a small puff of smoke. She had not summoned any animal and she remembered clearly that she had never been able to summon foxes... so where had the kit come from? Was there someone else in this room, watching her silently?

Suddenly the fox jumped of the bed and ran into a corner where it attacked something. Moments later another puff of smoke signalized that another summoned animal had disappeared and the fox kit jumped back onto the bed with an almost smug demeanor.

"Now that the pesky little toad spy is gone, we can finally talk." The fox suddenly said to the surprised girl.

"Ah... hi there..." Akahana said slowly, not really sure how to react to the small creature.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Akahana-hime. I am Kurou, your familiar. Kyubi-sama has sent me with you to make sure you do not die." The fox stated happily.

"Why? Why would he care about whether I die or live?" Akahana asked confused.

"He didn't really tell me that... only said to 'keep the idiot kit alive'..." Kurou replied.

"Where are we? Why are the people I saw dieing suddenly alive again?" Akahana asked with a bit more vehemence then before.

"Kyubi-sama has sent us into the past!" The fox said giddily. "Here we can correct our own mistakes in the past... or so he said."

Akahana couldn't believe it? Was that kit telling the truth? The fox had sent her to the past... for whatever reason he did this, he must expect something in return. Did he expect her to free him in the past? The demon never did anything without a reason.

"How far in the past are we, Kurou?" Akahana asked finally, though she somehow dreaded the answer.

"If things worked as intended we should be exactly thirty years in the past from where we have started." The fox replied happily. "Enough time to make a lasting impact on all the things that went wrong in your life."

Kurou waited for a reply from Akahana, but much to the little fur-ball's astonishment the girl had fainted and looked as if she was just sleeping again. Though he was in no mood to sleep yet, the little fox still decided to lie down next to Akahana and wait for her to wake up again. At least he could watch over her like this. Oh those humans will be surprised when they would see him. He would shown them how well he could use his teeth should they try to hurt his master in any way.


	3. Enigma Part II

**Enigma Part II**

The third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat silently in his office, pondering the current situation or more precisely, the person that was the reason for his current headache. Akahana Uzumaki. She appeared out of nowhere and attacked Jiraiya... there were so many mysteries surrounding this girl that he was hard pressed to answer even the most basic questions about this girl.

He sighed as he read as the report from Inoichi. The teen had written down everything he had seen in her memory, going into as much detail as he could in his descriptions. The things he had seen were gruesome and unsettling... and he only saw glimpses, pictures without any background information as to what happened before...

Was this girl the harbinger of a new war? Or was she the victim of an old one? Inoichi described some memories to be from her early childhood, a time that would coincide with the last shinobi world war. Maybe she was just one of the countless orphans of the last war... one that could never escape the cycle of death and violence even after the end of the war.

Somehow he had a hard time seeing the girl as 'just' an unfortunate war orphan. She had considerable skill and strength. Jiraiya's report of their short fight depicted her as anything but weak. She could fight despite great wounds; even the fabled Uzumaki vitality had its boundaries, so she must have been used to continue fighting, no matter how much pain she felt.

The girl was an enigma. The question now was whether she was a threat to the village or not. Would she be hostile as soon as she had recuperated? Or would she be willing to cooperate and counteract any threat to Konoha, that she might possibly know of? Hopefully her rumored connection to the Uzumaki Clan would be helpful in keeping her peaceful.

Sarutobi shook his head in exasperation. Thinking about this topic just gave him an even greater headache. And thinking about the paperwork this situation would cause as soon as the village finds out about this... Sometime he really hated his job. Things had been that much easier when he was just a shinobi of the village.

He looked up with a miffed expression as he heard a knock on his door. Already fearing that his secretary would come to deliver even more paperwork. But he could sigh in relief, when it wasn't his secretary, but one of his students instead. Orochimaru, the snake sannin and one of the most gifted shinobi that Konoha had to offer at this moment. He also was Hiruzen's favorite student, something the pale faced man knew.

"Ah, Orochimaru. Good, I've been waiting for you." Sarutobi told his student in a friendly tone.

"Sure, sensei. How can I be of service." The snake sannin replied.

"I have a special mission for you. Due to certain circumstances I have come to fear that there might be another unrest in the region around Amegakure." The moment the Hokage spoke the name of the village, Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly, showing his opinion of that place. "I need you to go there and find out whatever you can about any possible threat to Konoha."

"May I inquire what caused this sudden … caution? Last I remembered we considered Ame pacified." Orochimaru asked with undisguised curiosity.

"What I am about to tell you, must be kept secret at all cost, Orochimaru. Only few know about it yet and I intend to keep it that way until we have facts and not just conjectures." This only increased the sannin's curiosity as he waited for his sensei to elaborate. "Yesterday Jiraiya returned with his Genin team from a C-Rank mission to Kusa. On their way back they encountered a young woman who was later identified as Akahana Uzumaki. She was badly wounded and attacked Jiraiya, believing him to be an enemy due to her delirium. According to Jiraiya's own report, she was extremely skilled and would have posed a serious threat to him had she not been nearly dead before the fight even started."

This sparked Orochimaru's interest in this Akahana Uzumaki. Only few would engage a sannin these days and live. To hear about someone giving a sannin a hard time despite prior wounds... that was nearly unheard of. No matter what he personally thought about his former teammate, Orochimaru knew that Jiraiya was no pushover.

"Sensei, how does this relate to my mission to spy on Ame?" Orochimaru asked with barely disguised impatience. He wanted more information, he needed to know more about this situation and about that girl.

"I am getting there, don't worry. Jiraiya eventually defeated the girl and brought her back to Konoha with him to have her wounds treated. The girl would have died had he left her behind. Once the girl was no longer in danger of dying I had a Yamanaka examine her memories to get answers... well to tell the truth, that did not work as expected. The Yamanaka only saw a few glimpses of memories. Snapshots of her past experiences. But what he saw was unsettling. Death and fighting; the girl had fought constantly since she was very young. And he saw the hitai-ate of Amegakure... together with someone who had a Sharingan."

"The Uchiha are involved in this?" Orochimaru asked with a skeptic expression. It was unusual for the Uchiha to bother with anything outside of the village. They had their eyes only on Konoha... for the moment at least.

"We can't rule out that they might have had a hand in this. This is one of the reasons why I want to keep this situation as secret as possible until we have some facts and hopefully proof for our concerns." Sarutobi replied with a weary sigh.

"You fear that the Uchiha might try to silence her, should they really be involved."

"I simply hope that we do not have to deal with treason within our own village. And the girl is still somehow connected to Ame. We further questioned her when she woke up, but she denies any involvement with Amegakure and Hanzo."

"I will find the answers you seek, sensei." Orochimaru replied confidently. 'And I will find the answers to my own questions. Should this girl really be powerful, then she might be an interesting specimen' Orochimaru added silently in his mind.

"Excellent. Hurry, Orochimaru, we must resolve this entire incident as fast and as quiet as possible." Sarutobi said before Orochimaru quickly left the office to prepare for his departure.

* * *

After a few hours of sleep Akahana finally woke up once more, much to the delight to the fox kit that still persistently stayed with her. But luckily Kurou remained silent for the moment so she could process the information she had gotten from the fox. The damned demon had sent her to the past. All she wanted was to die, but the demon sent her back to the past, when her own parents were mere children... and now she was back in the familiar confines of the Konoha hospital. She absolutely loathed waking up in hospital without knowing how she got there in the first place.

What should she do now? She couldn't tell them the truth, they would believe she was insane... But she needed a very good excuse for her situation or else Kami knows what they would do with her. She was used to torture; she had endured the worst kinds of physical and mental torture to prepare her for future missions into enemy territory. But that did not mean that she enjoyed it... they would definitely send her to the Torture and Interrogation Force of Konoha if she had no good explanation for her presence and her wounds.

And then there was this small fox kit. How should she explain his presence? She tried and failed to dispel Kurou... another way the fox had found to torment her as it seemed. Even now that the fox was gone she could still feel the lingering remains of his presence inside her. She felt empty without the fur-ball, but at the same time his remaining Chakra in her system made her feel sickened.

Suddenly Kurou jumped up giddily and looked towards the door of the room. "He's here! I can feel him near us!" The fox exclaimed happily.

"Sit down and stop jumping around on my bed, damn fox. And who is here?" Akahana replied tersely.

"Kyubi-sama!" Was all the fox replied before it jumped off the bed. But that was enough for Akahana to gasp and look around in shock. The demon was here? Had it followed her to the past? No that couldn't be, she hoped that the demon had not decided to haunt her even here in the past. Not after he had denied her even the simple wish to die...

Then the door of the room opened, but instead of the demon a girl entered the room. For a moment Akahana actually suspected the girl to be the demon in a disguise before she scolded herself for being so stupid to believe that someone like the Kyubi would lower himself to look like a human. The demon had made it clear that it hated humans with a passion.

But Akahana was still stunned by the sight of the girl. The red hair, the blue eyes... this girl looked so much like a younger version of herself... that very thought brought back some painful memories from the time when she used to look like this.

"Uhm... hi." Came the cheerful greeting from the girl as she looked at Akahana with wide eyes. "I'm Kushina. Kushina Uzumaki."

Akahana's eyes widened when she heard that. This girl was her mother? This is what Kushina Uzumaki looked like when she was young? Akahana had never met her mother, but she was often told how much she resembled her. She never really believed it, seeing these words as nothing but a halfhearted attempt to give her some form of connection to her dead parent. But now this girl stood before her, this girl that would eventually be her mother...

When Kushina looked questioningly at her, Akahana finally broke her silence, much to Kushina's happiness. "I... am Akahana Uzumaki." She stated calmly.

A huge grin spread on Kushina's face. So this young woman really was from her clan. After so many years she finally got to see another member of her clan. "You are really a Uzumaki?" Akahana simply nodded to this question. "This is so great. I haven't met anyone from my clan for so long. This is so great, dattenbane." Kushina stated excitedly.

"It is nice to meet you, Kushina. But how did you get in here? I would have believed that the Hokage has placed several ANBU guards at the door to make sure that I do not flee. Surely they would not have let you enter this room. Or has the Hokage sent you?" Akahana asked with true curiosity.

At this Kushina looked rather sheepish. "I... well... I sneaked in while the ANBU had been distracted." She admitted, actually eliciting a small smile from Akahana when she saw the girl's sheepish expression. "But why would Hokage-sama keep you under surveillance? Have you done something bad?"

"I have no idea to be truthful. I'm missing more then a day of my memories... one moment I was fighting... and nearly dieing; and the next moment I wake up here, watched by the Hokage and two sannin, while a Yamanaka tries to browse my memories." Akahana said a bit apprehensively.

"But why? Uzushio and Konoha are close allies, especially our clan is important to Konoha! So why would they do that to you? Surely the clan elders will not like it when they hear how you are treated." Kushina replied peeved.

"I doubt that the elders will care about me. I have grown up far away from Uzushio... you are in fact the first other clan member that I have met in my life. I've been an orphan, so I never knew much about my lineage except that one of my parents was an Uzumaki that had left Uzu." Akahana replied truthfully. There was no reason to lie and somehow she couldn't bring herself to lie to Kushina. It was weird thinking of this girl, that is actually younger then her, as her future mother. But there was still this connection that Akahana craved, even if it was only subconsciously.

"That's so sad..." Kushina replied with a downcast expression. "But surely they will accept you as soon as they find out that you are a Uzumaki like us 'ttebane." Kushina said with even more excitement.

"Maybe..." Akahana answered unconvinced. What would it be like, to belong to a clan? The only form of belonging she had ever experienced was her time in Root.

A short silence fell on the room as neither girl knew what to say next, but that was the moment that Kurou decided to remind the girls of his presence. The fox kit suddenly jumped on the bed and sat down in Akahana's lap. Kushina looked at the fox with great interest.

"Oh is that your pet?" Kushina asked with a giddy expression as she grabbed the small fox and shook him a bit roughly.

"I am no damn pet!" Kurou exclaimed exasperated. That the fox suddenly spoke surprised Kushina, but she still held the fox firmly, not letting him down. Akahana wondered why he did not struggle, but then she remembered one little fact. Her mother... Kushina was the Kyubi Jinchuriki before her... that meant the girl before he was the current jailor of the most powerful demon in this world. Kurou did not try to get away from her because this was the closest he could hope to get to his real master.

"Oh you are a summon. Such a cute little fox, I have never heard of anyone being able to summon foxes. This is so awesome 'ttebane." Kushina said excitedly.

Akahana couldn't really find an answer to that. She wasn't a fox summoner... she had only signed the toad summoning contract... but she remembered Kyubi telling her that he had replaced her toads with something to keep her in line... did that mean that the demon had replaced her toads with foxes?

"Oh I wish I could summon foxes, too. They are awesome." Kushina stated happily.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have the summoning scroll for the foxes... I just somehow... I was suddenly able to summon them. Though I somehow can't unsummon that particular pest you hold there." Kushina looked a little saddened when she heard that, but her good mood came back just as quickly.

"I wonder why I can't summon them with the... Oh." She suddenly stopped herself before she blurted her secret out in front of a person she had just met. She wasn't allowed to tell anyone of her status as Jinchuriki.

"You mean with the Kyubi sealed inside you?" Akahana asked with a raised eyebrow, shocking Kushina in the process.

"You know? How?"

"Kurou can sense him for some reason. Don't worry I won't judge you badly for being a Jinchuriki." Akahana said soothingly as she saw Kushina getting worried because of this.

"Please don't tell anyone. The Hokage said it is of utmost importance that no once knows that I am the Kyubi Jinchuriki. Enemy nations would come and try to abduct or kill me if they found out about this."

"I promise I won't tell anyone. But you must promise that you are careful with that demon. He is evil and corrupted beyond reason." Akahana cautioned the younger girl. She remembered all too well what it was like to live with the demon sealed inside herself.

"Okay. Do you know a lot about foxes? Being their summoner and all must mean that you know and like them like no other. The other shinobi with summoning contracts have very close ties to their animals." Kushina asked the older girl.

"I know a bit about their behavior..." 'at least if they are all like Kyubi' she added mentally. "When I was much younger I even had markings on my cheeks that looked like the whiskers of a fox." Akahana said with a small smile.

"Really? That is so cool. What happened to them?"

"My... mentor had them removed." Akahana replied slowly. That wasn't a very happy memory, she could still feel the burning pain on her cheeks from the removal process just by thinking about it.

"Why?"

"Because they would have been a hindrance for certain missions." Akahana said, but Kushina looked at her questioningly. "Those kind of missions that only kunoichi can do." She elaborated. Kushina made a surprised face before she blushed when she understood which kind of missions Akahana meant. Akahana merely laughed lightly when she saw the reaction of the younger girl.

Akahana enjoyed talking to Kushina. She had never found out much about her mother, but being able to talk to her now, even if it was a much younger version of her mother, made her happy. She could easily talk to Kushina, the things that interested the younger girl were easy to tell and seldom required Akahana to lie. It had been so long since Akahana had spoken to anyone this freely.

But their easygoing conversation quickly came to an end when the door of the room opened and both Jiraiya and Tsunade entered the room. The two sannin looked at Akahana and Kushina as both turned their heads toward the door to watch who was coming. But what they saw surprised them; neither sannin spoke before Jiraiya suddenly turned around and pulled Tsunade with him out of the room. The girls both watched the scene with confusion, hard pressed to understand that sudden behavior of the two sannin.

Outside the room Jiraiya looked pointedly at the two ANBU that were supposed to guard the room. He couldn't believe that they would fail this easy task. "Just what have you two done the entire time? You were supposed to guard this room, to let no one enter or leave except for Tsunade, the Hokage and me. You are completely useless, get lost and sent some reliable men to take your places." Jiraiya barked angrily. The ANBU looked unconvinced at first, only the Hokage had the power to order them around, but the idea to be at the receiving end of a sannin's wrath was less then appealing. In the end both ANBU quickly left their post.

"I wonder how she got in there. Kushina sure is one resourceful kunoichi. But what surprises me more is how she has found out that there is another Uzumaki here. I thought that sensei wanted to keep this a secret at all costs." Tsunade stated with a thoughtful expression.

Jiraiya though knew who had most likely told her about Akahana. "Minato! Shit, I haven't told them to keep this to themselves." Jiraiya said with a frown.

"Idiot. Hopefully they haven't told anyone else. Sensei will have your head otherwise." Tsunade stated with a dry tone. "But there is something that is more troubling then Kushina being there."

"Yeah... I have seen it, too. Those two look a lot alike. Do you think they are..." Jiraiya did not even dare to finish that question. This would only add even more problems to the mysteries that surround the girl.

"I will make a test to find out." Tsunade stated immediately.

"At least this would explain why she knows about the certain things... and where she might have heard it." Jiraiya mused with a contemplative expression. "But for now I will continue with my interrogation. Sensei wants this entire situation resolved as quickly as possible."

Moments later the two sannin reentered the hospital room, just to see the same sight again. Two girls that greatly resembled each other looking at them with a small fox sitting in Akahana's lap.

"Wait a minute. Where did that fox come from?" Jiraiya asked suddenly.

"Just where do you think foxes come from, genius? Do you think we are growing on trees or something?" Kurou sneered at the toad sannin.

Jiraiya looked annoyed at Kurou while Tsunade and the two Uzumaki's snickered at the fox's response. "Akahana-san, please dispel your little 'pet'. We need to talk." Jiraiya looked condescendingly at Kurou when he called him a mere pet, much to the fox's displeasure. "And you better leave, Kushina, you shouldn't be here in the first place."

Kushina did not really wish to leave now that she has met the first Uzumaki since Mito Uzumaki's death years ago. But Akahana knew that some things had to be said now and that it was better for Kushina to be somewhere else while she talked to the sannin.

"Kushina, it is alright we will talk again later. There are still some... formalities that Jiraiya and I have to take care of." Akahana said with a benevolent smile as she dismissed the girl.

"Alright, I understand when there are secrets that I should not be privy to. Maybe one day you will tell me your secrets, just like you know some of mine." Kushina said before she left the room.

Jiraiya looked suspiciously at both girls as he heard Kushina's words. "What secrets is she talking about?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

"Jinchuriki." Was Akahana's only answer.

"She told you?"

"I knew beforehand."

"How?" Jiraiya asked impatiently.

"Little Kurou here can sense the demon fox. And as you have seen before the little fur-ball can't keep his mouth shut." Kurou looked peeved at her words and decided to jump on the window sill and looked at village outside. "And don't worry, I have no intention to tell this to anyone. I know what kind of hard life Jinchuriki have to lead because of human bigotry and senseless fear."

"I hope for you that you don't lie about this. Else I will bring you down myself. This is not just about Kushina but also about secrets that could put our village at risk." Jiraiya replied sternly.

"Get to your questions, I am not in the mood for any games today." Akahana replied tersely.

"First comes your checkup." Tsunade interjected as she stepped next to the bed. "Any more pain, nausea or any other problems since you woke up?"

"I fainted once... but I think that was mostly due to exhaustion. I still feel like I could sleep for a whole week straight." Akahana replied softly. She always liked Tsunade, no matter how much her former master disliked the Godaime Hokage. Tsunade had always treated her normal and fairly. Much unlike the other sannin in the room who tried to use her for his 'research' during their entire training trip.

"After that kind of wounds, severe blood loss and near death Chakra exhaustion... just be glad that you are alive. The wounds have healed nicely... and unnaturally fast. A few days of rest without straining yourself and you should be clear to leave hospital." Tsunade said at the end of her examination.

"Thank you for your care." Akahana replied honestly. "I owe you my life, Tsunade-sama."

"Right, right. So now that you are at least fit enough to talk without breaking down, why don't we continue our conversation from earlier." Jiraiya said.

"Then ask your question, toad sannin."

"We already know that you have at least some form of connection to Ame and you stated yourself that you fought against Akatsuki. Why don't we start from there. So tell me girl, who are you working for?"

"I was working... for an organization... but that doesn't matter anymore. I am the only one left." Akahana said with great sadness. Life wasn't easy as a part of Root, but it was a place she truly belonged to and loosing them was not easy. Not even being an official shinobi of Konoha for some time could make up for that loss.

"Is there a name for that organization?" At that she only shook her head, much to Jiraiya's exasperation. "What did you do for that organization?"

"Spying, assassinations, infiltration, fighting, protecting... the same jobs any normal kunoichi would have done. Only that I did the bidding of one man instead of village."

"What about your family?" Tsunade asked from the other side of the bed.

"I've been an orphan for all my life. The only thing I ever knew was that one of my parents was an Uzumaki. The closest thing I had to a family was a father figure... though I doubt that anyone would call that man a father... He was more like the man I was working for. Do your job right and you get treated well, fuck it up and you get punished... at least he was fair to me, unlike other people."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I was raised to be a weapon. And that was all that most people saw me as. Most people I met only felt contempt for me. But at least I was merely shunned because of my affiliation." Akahana never really liked to recount that part of her life. But at least she could be honest about that and by showing honest emotions she would hopefully win over the two sannin and the Hokage once he hears about this.

"Are you or were you ever an enemy of Konoha or the land of fire?" Now that was the one questions that Jiraiya wanted answered and he would most definitely find out if she lied about this.

"No. I have never done anything to harm this village or this country. I am not your enemy." She looked directly in Jiraiya's eyes, proving her sincerity as he searched her eyes for any sign of lies. But he couldn't find any deception in her words or her eyes. At this point he finally relaxed a little around her.

"Let us hope that it stays that way. I dislike killing when it could be avoided." Jiraiya stated. "There are still some questions that I need answers for, but those can wait until you are out of here. We will discuss the rest with a little Sake to lighten the mood." Jiraiya said much more jovially. It wasn't that he trusted her yet, but at least she seemed to harbor no ill will towards Konoha.

"As long as you don't try to use me as research material for your next book everything will be fine. Should I catch you doing that... let's just say that Kurou has some very sharp teeth that can hurt really bad when he hits his mark." Akahana replied with a mocking grin.

"Ah so my reputation has already traveled far and wide! Soon my books will make me the most famous author..."

"For porn..." Akahana deadpanned.

"What!" Tsunade exclaimed when she heard that. "You are writing smut in your next book?" She looked dangerously at Jiraiya who suddenly paled drastically. Before Tsunade or Akahana could say a word he had already excused himself from the room.

"He won't escape me for long." Tsunade growled.

"Try the hotsprings. That is the most likely place to catch a pervert." Akahana said with a giggle.

"Yeah, I will do that later. But you will rest now. No more guests or any other distractions until I deem you fit. Get some more sleep, it will do you good." Tsunade ordered the girl with a friendly expression before she left to tend to her other patients.

Only mere minutes after the sannin had left Kurou decided to retake his place on the bed next to Akahana. "That went well. Be on good behavior and you will gain their trust in no time." The fox said with a yawn.

"Jiraiya and Tsunade maybe... but I doubt that the Sandaime Hokage can be won over that easily. They have just ended one war and the world is still in turmoil. It is his job to be distrustful towards strangers like me... Hopefully I can at least get him to give me a chance." Akahana sighed deeply. The Sandaime from her time was a kind old man, at least towards her. She always knew that he was ashamed that he had allowed for her to be turned into a weapon. So he tried to be there for her to lessen for his guilt. The younger Hokage she has met here was a whole different person. There was no caring in his expression when he looked at her, only suspicion.

"If Konoha does not want you, then there are a lot of other villages out there, that would gladly take someone with your strength." Kurou said.

"The Sandaime might send me away to Uzushio... I don't like the idea of serving another village that might end up fighting Konoha. I was raised to protect this place..." Akahana looked sadly towards the village she could see outside the window of her room. "But there is no way to find out what happens yet. All I can do is show patience now... and I don't like sitting by and watch when I know what will happen to Konoha..."


	4. Enigma Part III

**Enigma Part III**

Akahana spent more than a full week in the care of Tsunade at the hospital, before the female sannin finally deemed her fit enough. She was glad, when she was finally allowed to leave. She was used to being in the hospital, but she had rarely been there for longer than a few days. That she had spent more a week in the hospital was a sign that made her very uncomfortable. She knew, that she was close to death when Jiraiya found her, but that wasn't the first time. No, her unusual slow recuperation must have been a consequence of loosing the Kyubi. She still healed faster then normal humans, but without the demon and its powers she would have to live with many changes to her usual routines.

Akahana wasn't really surprised that it was Jiraiya who waited for her when she was finally allowed to leave. Though the Sandaime had not come to visit her again after the day she had woken up, she knew that he would want to see her as soon as she was able. That would be one awkward meeting for sure.

"Jiraiya-san, good morning." Akahana greeted the man with a friendly expression. She knew she would have to befriend the sannin, if she wished for their support. She needed both of them for now, else her chances at being allowed to remain in Konoha would be less then favorable. So she even willed herself to forget her low opinion of the Jiraiya from her time and gave the man here a chance, despite his less appreciated non shinobi activities.

"Good morning, Akahana. I see that your 'pet' still follows you around." Jiraiya said with a condescending smile towards Kurou. There was no love lost between those two; Jiraiya had been Akahana's most frequent visitor since Kushina had not been allowed to return. But the toad sannin and the fox kit could never really get along. Kurou knew of Akahana's apprehension towards the man and made it his personal mission to drive the offending man away. Jiraiya meanwhile had great fun in tormenting the noisy fox.

"Bite me, toad human." Kurou quipped up from the ground, but he was completely ignored by Jiraiya.

"Well Akahana, I am sure that you already expected this. My sensei wants to see you. Tsunade should have arranged for some clothes for you. The things you wore when we found you had been destroyed so we got rid of the remains."

"I see... looks like I need to go and buy new clothes soon. I don't feel comfortable in civilian clothing... it impairs my movement and fighting style too much. But what have you done with my katana?" Akahana asked with a searching look at Jiraiya.

"Ah well, sensei decided to keep that weapon away from you, at least until we are completely sure that you are not hostile. Sorry about that." Jiraiya replied with a sheepish look. He somehow doubted that she was less dangerous without that weapon.

Akahana smirked when she heard that and touched one of the seals that were on her arm. It was a tiny little seal on her wrist that looked like a fancy tattoo, but Jiraiya knew enough about seals to know that it was more then a fancy decoration. And just as expected the moment she had channeled Chakra into the seal there was a small puff of smoke before Jiraiya could only gape when she held her sword in her hands.

"A spare sword in a storage seal?" He asked with great interest.

"Not really. In my line of work it can be dangerous when an enemy gets hold of my weapon and tries to use it against me. Especially with such a rare wonder of craftsmanship like this katana. So I engraved a seal on the weapon that I had designed especially for the purpose of retrieving my sword." She still grinned as she held her sword close to her chest like it was her most beloved possession.

Jiraiya whistled slightly impressed by that seal. Something like that would be damn useful for all shinobi on missions. "You must hold this weapon dear when you go at such lengths to keep it safe."

"Yes... it was a gift... the first and only birthday gift I have ever received in my life..." Akahana said with a sad voice. "The man who gifted it to me was... he was the closest thing to a father I've ever had. He gave me the sword with the words, 'get stronger with it or die by it, the choice is yours'. It was his way to keep me from giving up. His way to ensure that I would become the best weapon in his arsenal... I was raised to be competitive and that was more or less a challenge to get stronger." She sighed deeply before she shook her head. "In the end I was not powerful enough. He died... everyone died. Even though I have avenged his death... I know now that revenge was not worth it... it does not bring those we've lost back to us. Being an avenger is an awful life."

Jiraiya scrutinized the girl with great interest as she gave away this particular part of her history. She did not divulge any information on who she had worked for or what had happened to her, but instead she revealed a much more personal side of herself and allowed the sannin to see a glimpse of her tortured soul.

"Did he also teach you sealing? Your mentor I mean."

"No... I learned that later when I tried to uncover more about my own roots. Learning Fuinjutsu was very easy for me, it was like an innate talent. Later I realized that it really was that... being an Uzumaki made it easy to learn all of this as it seemed. I used every source I could find for my self studies until I was proficient enough to use it even in battle." Akahana stated almost proudly. She could remember the day she had shown her new talent to her mentor. It was one of the few times she had heard him utter the words 'I'm proud of you'. To her that was one of the happiest days she could remember. Now she realized that her mentor merely said that to increase her loyalty. He knew exactly how to manipulate her...

"We should definitely take some time to talk about this topic. There are only few except the Uzumaki Clan, that truly know the value of seals in a battle. My student Minato is also greatly interested in learning this art. Who knows maybe you can show him something that even I don't know." Jiraiya said with a laugh. He was sure that he knew more about Fuinjutsu than Akahana, but the insight of another person was always welcome.

"That depends on what your Hokage plans to do with me." Akahana replied a bit coldly. "But please leave the room so I can dress. Surely your Hokage does not want to wait for too long so we should hurry." She then looked down to the fox that still glared holes into Jiraiya. "Kurou, go with him. Make sure that he does not peek."

"Aye, Akahana-hime." The fox barked happily. "Let's go, toad human. Move before I bite you."

Akahana merely shook her head with a smile as she watched the grumbling Jiraiya leave the room with the little fox in tow. She slowly left the hospital bed and stretched. She saw the clothing that Tsunade had brought her earlier and couldn't help but frown. Just why had that woman picked out civilian clothing...

* * *

The Sandaime Hokage was sighing in exasperation. He reread the reports that were on his desk carefully, just in case he had missed something... but the information remained the same. He wanted curse loudly, but restrained himself. It wouldn't look good to do that in front of one of his former students.

Across from the Hokage sat Orochimaru; the Snake sannin watched his former sensei curiously as the older man read his final report on his mission to Ame. His mission was not really a success, at least not the kind of success that the Hokage wanted. But the final outcome had sparked his interest in that Uzumaki girl even more. Oh yes, he would have to get a closer look on her... maybe he could even get a sample of her blood from the hospital, surely it could tell him some interesting things about the girl that had apparently occupied the Sandaime's mind for the last few days.

"And you are completely sure that this report is accurate, Orochimaru?" Sarutobi asked his former student with a frown.

"Yes, sensei. There wasn't even the slightest trace of the girl in Ame. Either that girl is very apt in hiding her trails or she has simply never been to that place." Orochimaru replied testily, miffed about being doubted by his sensei.

"This can't be... just where has that girl come from... With Inoichi's report and the girl's own testimony, Amegakure had been our only clue as to her whereabouts." He shook his in annoyance. "I don't like this situation. This girl has fought against someone powerful, she has fought in a war for all her life according to her memories, but we can't find out what has happened and when it has happened... There might be a danger for our village, lurking out there and this girl might be the only way to find out about it."

"Why not hand her over to the Torture and Interrogation Unit. I am quite confident that they could make her talk." Orochimaru stated offhandedly. "I would gladly offer my help to them, I've acquired some new drugs and poisons that might be tremendously helpful."

"We can't just have her put through that without a good reason... and since she is a Uzumaki it would have a very bad effect on our relations to Uzushio, should they find out that we have tortured a member of the Uzumaki Clan." Sarutobi stated with another sigh. "It doesn't really matter anyways. Jiraiya is bringing her here as we speak. I will use this as one last time to get her to confess everything we need to know..."

"And what if she remains silent?"

"Her fate has already been decided, so everything after this meeting is out of my hands for now." Sarutobi replied wearily. Orochimaru looked at his sensei with a questioning look, trying to understand what exactly the Hokage had decided to do with the girl. Hopefully he would not do something foolish before he had a chance to study this interesting specimen.

* * *

Meanwhile Akahana followed Jiraiya slowly through the village on their way from the hospital towards the Hokage Tower where she was supposed to be interrogated once more by the Hokage himself. Akahana knew that she should be a little more concerned with upcoming meeting, but she couldn't focus on the dreadful meeting when she walked through the lively streets of her home village. In her time the village had been destroyed and abandoned years ago; in fact she had not seen it this lively since the Akatsuki attack two years before her final fight with Tobi.

But to see the village now was a real wonder for the girl. Maybe, just maybe she would get a chance at redeeming herself. A chance to properly protect the village this time around. If the Hokage would allow her to stay and fight for Konoha, she knew that she would sooner die then see the village destroyed again.

Jiraiya noted the girl's fascination with the village with a smile of his own. He knew that Konoha was a sight to behold, especially for newcomers. But Akahana had this look in her eyes... her blue eyes held a longing as he looked at her. He resolved that her reaction must be a consequence of her harsh life so far. 'Maybe all she wanted was a peaceful place to live', he thought idly.

"Do you like Konoha so far, Akahana? There is a reason why we are known as the greatest of the hidden villages. It is not just our strength but also the tranquil beauty of our home." He laughed loudly before he continued. "And of course because of the countless beautiful women that live in this village."

His last words were met with a dangerous growl from Kurou. The little fox didn't like the man's word in the slightest, especially while said man was looking at his mistress. The fact that his Akahana-hime looked at the toad human with narrowed eyes only increased the little foxes anger.

"Eyes front, toad human!" Kurou barked at Jiraiya, but the sannin looked only condescendingly at the fox.

"You said something, midget?"

Kurou only growled in response before he jumped behind Jiraiya and bit the sannin into his behind. It all happened so fast that Jiraiya could hardly react before he already felt the pain. "Dammit, let go of me you stupid midget." Jiraiya exclaimed loudly.

Akahana could only facepalm as she watched the interaction between her familiar and a man she had once known as on of the most powerful shinobi of his generation. The fact that this entire situation attracted much unwanted attention only increased Akahana's current wish to just ditch both sannin and fox and continue her way to the Hokage on her own. But she knew that that might be a rather bad idea, the Hokage would not appreciate her walking around unsupervised... at least not at the moment. So all she could do was wait for the two knuckleheads to finish so they could continue.

But Akahana's wish to quickly leave the current scene was far out of her reach. Especially when the crowd around them suddenly parted and two men in Konoha Military police uniforms entered the scene. Akahana had to restrain herself from scowling when she looked at the men, the last thing she needed right now was two Uchiha butting into her business.

"What is going on here? This is a street and not a circus." One of the two Uchiha exclaimed angrily. "Jiraiya-san, stop this foolishness this instant. Just what are the foreign merchants that visit our village supposed to think when they see a student of the Hokage fooling around like some common idiot."

Jiraiya looked blankly at the Uchiha's before he just pointed at the fox that was still biting him relentlessly. The Uchiha that had spoken before motioned for his comrade to aid Jiraiya in getting rid of Kurou. But that was easier said then done. Jiraiya looked pleadingly at Akahana for help, but after his last comment she felt less inclined to help him. So Jiraiya and the Uchiha had to use quite some strength to finally rid Jiraiya of the furry pest.

The other Uchiha looked at the fox in contempt as Kurou struggled in the grip of the other man. "Whose pet is that? I should have put that pest down for assaulting a Konoha shinobi!"

"The fox is my familiar and believe me the little guy only acted in what he believed to be my best interest." Akahana said sternly. She glared at the Uchiha as the man approached her with an angry look of his own. Then he had a closer look at Akahana, seeing her in civilian clothing, but with a Katana strapped to her belt.

"Just what do you think you are doing? Civilians are not allowed to carry weapons within the walls of Konoha. You will hand over that sword this instant!" He ordered sternly before he made motion to grab the sword from her. But before he could reach for it his arm was stopped when Akahana tightly gripped his wrist.

"Just try to touch it, Uchiha, and you will see that I am not a mere civilian. Come on, just try to take it, I dare you to." Akahana spat at the man. She loathed this clan, all her life she had suffered because of Uchiha. That accursed clan and their Sharingan... all her suffering originated from that bloodline.

For some moments the entire street around them was eerily quiet. No one dared to speak as Akahana and the Uchiha stared each other down. It was the second Uchiha who finally ended the silent staring contest.

"Come one, brother, let's not be hasty. Maybe there is a good explanation for this." Said the man who still held Kurou in a safe distance from his body.

"That is right, she is a guest of the Hokage!" Jiraiya exclaimed suddenly. It was not necessarily the truth, but he was in no mood to have the entire scene escalate. He really did not want to have to explain to his sensei why Akahana had maimed two Uchihas on the short way from the hospital to the Hokage tower.

"See, brother. Everything is alright." He then looked at Akahana with a benevolent smile. "Just keep your... familiar in check so he does not bite any more people."

The other Uchiha yanked his hand free from Akahana's grip and turned away from her with one last contemptuous look at the girl. "Next time I won't go easy on you when you break the laws of this village." After that he quickly stalked away with one last shout. "Katsuo we are leaving!"

Katsuo remained for a few more moments as he scrutinized Akahana with great interest. Only when she glared openly at him he finally set Kurou down on the ground and left with a small wink towards the glaring redhead.

"Well that was a nice experience for a change." Jiraiya commented when the two Uchiha had finally disappeared. "Seems like you made a good first impression on the Uchiha clan heir. The one whose wrist you tried to break is Fugaku Uchiha, next in line as clan head for the entire Uchiha clan. The other guy was his younger brother Katsuo. Better be careful around those fellows, the Uchiha hate it when people don't respect them."

"Just keep the Uchiha away from me and nothing bad will happen." Was Akahana's curt answer to that. To Jiraiya it was obvious that the girl harbored deep resentment for the Uchiha clan. Was this some form of proof that the man who had beaten her so badly before they had found her was truly an Uchiha? "Okay let's not waste any more time. Sensei is waiting for you." Jiraiya said finally before he continued walking towards the Hokage tower. But he still rubbed the hurting spot on his behind every now and then, much to the amusement of the little fox that had retaken his place next to Akahana.

* * *

They arrived quickly at the Hokage tower since most people instinctively stepped out of their way when they the sour look on Akahana's face. Jiraiya found it almost amusing if not for the underlying worry why this girl harbored such resentment for one of the most prominent clans of Konoha. Sure the Uchiha were arrogant and stuck up, but that was still no reason for such feelings. Something was off, but he couldn't quite point his finger at it.

But Akahana's bad mood quickly vanished as she entered the Hokage tower. With every step that took her closer to the Hokage's office she felt more dread creeping up on her. Now that she was healed the Hokage would finally decide her fate. Depending on what she did and said during this meeting it could mean that she would be either allowed to stay... or they would sent her away.

She took a deep breath before she finally followed Jiraiya into the office, hopefully ready to stand her ground during the Hokage's interrogation. The office was still the same like she remembered it from her time. Nothing had changed in all those years...

But the first thing she noticed when she entered was not the office itself, but the fact that the Hokage was not alone. There, leaning against the wall in a dark corner of the room was the pale faced man that she never expected to see again. Orochimaru... one of the men that had made her life a living hell. She was tempted to draw her sword and end the threat of the Snake sannin before he would become too powerful... but she wouldn't even get near him at the moment. The Hokage and Jiraiya would stop her instantly. To them the snake bastard was still a loyal shinobi of the Leaf.

"Jiraiya, good that you finally got here. There were no unexpected... mishaps, I presume?" The Hokage asked with a cautious tone. But then he saw something that made him scowl. "Why does she have her weapon? I have ordered to not give her any weapons until I have made my final verdict." Sarutobi looked angrily at Jiraiya before his gaze wandered to Akahana. But she wouldn't allow herself to be intimidated by the Sandaime's glare, instead she stared right back without any outward sign of fear. But on the inside she could feel her dread rising again. It wouldn't be good for her to be at the receiving end of the Hokage's ire. Especially not with this younger and without a doubt much more powerful Sandaime Hokage.

"Ah... you see, it is quite impossible to keep that weapon away from her... She can summon the damn thing with a seal..." Jiraiya answered sheepishly.

"Do not worry about this, Hokage-sama. I won't use it unless I am attacked. As I have stated numerous times before, I am no threat to this village or its people." Akahana said truthfully. Sarutobi merely watched her with great suspicion, not sure if he should believe her just like that.

"Take a seat, both of you." Sarutobi ordered sternly.

Akahana complied immediately, but Jiraiya looked rather uncomfortable when he thought about sitting down. "I think I would rather stand..." Jiraiya replied cautiously while he stroked his hurting behind with one hand. Kurou watched the offending toad human with great satisfaction as the little wolf thought about the painful consequences of his earlier attack. Seeing this now gave the little fox a great feeling of accomplishment.

"Jiraiya, sit down now!"

"Yes, sensei..." Jiraiya mumbled, feeling a bit like he was a Genin again. He winced slightly in pain as he sat down, neither missing the smug look of the little fox or the amusement on Orochimaru's face at that moment.

After he gave Jiraiya one last stern glance, Sarutobi directed his attention back to Akahana. But once more she merely stared back, though her gaze was impassive whereas his was filled with suspicion and distrust at the moment.

"Akahana-san... I finally want answers from you, real answers, not that vague bullshit you have told us so far." Sarutobi said bluntly. "So far your own words and your memories have linked you Amegakure, but I highly doubt that you are connected to that village. You would have run the first moment you could if that was the case. No Ame shinobi would stay willingly in Konoha after the last war."

"I never claimed to be a kunoichi of that village. But your own words must mean that you sent someone, most likely a snake..." at that she looked towards Orochimaru "... to find out what the people there know about me. And I presume that his findings were less then satisfactory for you." Akahana replied evenly.

"You are quite perceptive."

"It was part of my job to be able to read between the lines." She replied.

"And who have you been working for?" Sarutobi asked, well rather demanded with an authoritative voice.

"A private organization. I served my master until the end like the weapon I was supposed to be. Neither the name of the organization nor the name of my master matter though... I am the only survivor." Again she couldn't keep the sadness out of her voice as she said that. How she hated that she had to repeat herself again and again.

"And who have you been fighting against? In your memories a war could be seen, when and where was that war?"

"I practically grew up on a battlefield, my entire life was one endless war, Hokage-sama. I fought whoever I was ordered to fight. In the end it was a fight against missing-nin, the fight that annihilated my organization and lead to me being here in Konoha."

"So your presence will possibly draw these missing-nin here?" Orochimaru asked with undisguised curiosity as he stepped out of the shadow.

"No." Akahana said firmly. "My last fight was against their leader, a man who called himself Tobi. I defeated him, there should be no immediate threat to the village." Akahana answered irritated. Giving away the name of the future Akatsuki leader was no problem for her. The man was a mystery even in her time, so the chances were minimal that anyone here would know him.

"Was this Tobi an Uchiha?"

"He had the Sharingan, whether it was his own or stolen from a Uchiha clan member I don't know." She nearly spat the word Uchiha, something she could only scold herself for. Of course it would raise suspicion if she harbored resentment against one of Konoha's biggest clans.

"You dislike the Uchiha, little girl." Orochimaru stated with interest.

"I despise their bloodline. These accursed eyes bring nothing but misery for all people." Akahana told the snake sannin with an angry snarl. Both the Hokage and Jiraiya looked worriedly at her when they heard these words. Orochimaru though only smirked before he returned into his dark corner to watch the rest of the interrogation in silence. But this girl... he was greatly interested in seeing what role she would play in Konoha's future. Who knows, she might even be useful to him one day.

Sarutobi meanwhile sighed in exasperation. Once more he tried and once more he failed to get more from the girl than just vague answers without specific information. He let his gaze wander over the documents on the table. The reports of every conversation this girl had with every person she had met in Konoha. Every word she had said so far. Everything he could find out about her. All of it was utterly useless... except one medical report he received from Tsunade several days ago.

"There are other things that we must talk about here. Maybe you will be more forthcoming with information about your family." The Hokage spoke calmly as he picked up the medical report.

"I already told you about that topic. I am an orphan. My mother died shortly after my birth, kami knows what has happened to my father. All I know is that I am at least partly Uzumaki." Akahana retorted.

"Uzumaki indeed. I just wonder if you are truthful about this topic. Maybe you were on your way through the land of fire for a more personal reason. A reason like finding a direct blood relative..." Sarutobi trailed off after that, watching Akahana's reaction closely.

But Akahana showed no outward reaction, though inwardly she was struck with fear. What did the old man know? Was it this easy to link her to her parents... how was she supposed to explain this? She was several years older then her parents in this time. They would call her insane once she started talking about time travel and Kyubi...

"What are you talking about?" She finally asked with trepidation.

"I am talking about your close blood relation to Kushina Uzumaki." The Hokage said sternly before he he threw the medical report directly in front of Akahana.

Akahana paled drastically when she heard the Hokage's words. She picked up the medical report with almost lifeless fingers as she started to read. Jiraiya looked even more surprised as he leaned over to see what was written in the report...

"Sister?" The toad sannin asked in astonishment.

"Can you explain to us why the test that my student has made yielded these results, Akahana-san? Tsunade did this test three times to be sure. The results only left us with one explanation. A close relation, most likely a sibling relation to Kushina Uzumaki."

Akahana only looked in disbelieve at the report. She then read a comment that Tsunade had written at the end of the report. 'The relation is very close, usually I would have assumed a mother-daughter relationship, but that is out of the question here. The next best explanation would be siblings, maybe half-siblings...'

"You believe that Kushina is my sister..." Akahana mumbled in shock. Her reaction of shock and disbelieve convinced the Hokage that she really did not know about this. It looked too genuine to be faked. And the shock was indeed real, but the reason was different. They believed that she was the older sister of the girl that would eventually become her mother? She was hard pressed to comprehend that.

"But this hardly changes anything about the situation you are in at the moment." The Hokage interjected sternly. "At least not for us. Based on all we could find out about you and your background there has already been a decision made about your fate." At this Akahana looked up at the Hokage. All she could do now was hope that she would be allowed to stay in Konoha.

"Akahana Uzumaki, you will leave Konoha in three days time. You will be escorted to Uzushiogakure by our Genin teams that go there for the upcoming Chunin exams. Once in Uzushio you will be handed over to the Uzumaki Clan-head. He will decided what to do with you from that point onward." Akahana's shoulders slumped, her face showing a crushed look as she heard the Hokage's decision.

"So I will expelled from this village and this country..." She said with great sadness.

Even Sarutobi could not help but show some sympathy for the girl when he saw her genuine emotions. She was really saddened, feeling nearly hopeless in this situation.

"Hey, don't take it to hard. I have seen outside how much you seemed to long for a peaceful life. And even though Uzushio isn't the most peaceful place on the continent at the moment I am still sure that you will find happiness there. You will be with your clan after all." Jiraiya said with a sympathetic smile as he placed a hand on her shoulder in a show of support.

"The decision about your fate was not mine to make, Akahana-san." The Hokage said calmly. "Once the Uzumaki Clan-head heard about you, a orphaned Uzumaki clan member that has grown up far away from the clan, he has demanded that we send you to him as soon as you are able. His demand was even firmer when we informed him about your familial relation to Kushina."

"I understand your decision, Hokage-sama. I have no choice but to accept your decision and comply." Akahana said with obvious sadness. "But..."

"Is there something else, Akahana-san?" Sarutobi asked with a much more friendly tone then before.

"May I replace my destroyed equipment in your shinobi stores? If I have to return to my clan I want to face them as the kunoichi that I was trained to be. I don't want to look worthless to them by showing up in civilian clothing..."

"You may do that. But keep in mind that someone will escort you to the shops and that you are only allowed to buy a very limited number of weapons." Sarutobi said benevolently. He could relate to her in a way. She would have to face her clan for the first time in her life and of course she intended to make a good expression. He would want to do the same.

"Thank you..." She replied meekly. "If that is all, then I would like to leave now... no need to further waste your time, Hokage-sama."

"Yes, you may leave." He then turned his attention to Jiraiya. "Jiraiya, she will be in your care until you reach Uzushio. I am sure you know how to handle such a situation without causing any problems." He looked pointedly at his former student.

"Of course, sensei." Jiraiya replied nervously. It was clear that the problems his sensei was talking about would most likely be the same reasons that would cause Akahana's fox to bite him again. "Well, Akahana-san, let's go shopping..." He said quickly as he walked over to the door, closely followed by the girl.

Just as they were about to leave the door opened and another man entered the room with purposeful strides. Though he looked very different from the man she knew from her memory, Akahana immediately recognized the man. As he walked past her she inclined her head, nearly succumbing to the urge to kneel down before him like she was taught to. But she couldn't stop herself from mumbling a respectful "Danzo-sama" as the man was next to her.

Danzo stopped for a moment and looked surprised at the girl. He did not know who this girl was, he had only heard a few rumors through his own spies, but that she would show him this kind of respect... it was unexpected, but not unwelcome. He nodded towards her before he further approached the Hokage, while Akahana and Jiraiya left the office. Orochimaru, too, had already left the room, cursing inwardly that this interesting specimen would be lost to another village.

The Hokage had watched the short scene between Danzo and Akahana with a suspicious frown. Strangers rarely show this kind of respect to people like Danzo. Sure Danzo was a powerful and influential man, but he was in no way as famous as people like the sannin. He surely would have to have some words with his old friend about this topic.


	5. Whirlpool Part I

**Whirlpool Part I**

Life always tended to screw her over, that was something that Akahana had begrudgingly acknowledged after all the hardships she had to endure so far. She had always put up with it. She never had any other chance but to accept her fate and continue onwards. But now she was in a situation that was one of her worst fears. Not because of any danger for herself, but because she had been more or less banished from the village she was raised to protect at all cost. Konoha was her home and her never ending mission.

A weapon that has been discarded is useless and to her the Hokage's decision meant exactly that. She had been discarded by Konoha and was no longer allowed to do the only thing was ever taught to do. In a way she felt dreadful and useless in her situation. She wanted to be angry at the Hokage, but she knew that it was useless. He did not even know what he had done to her when he made his decision. How should he know, to him she was a mere stranger...

And now she had to go to Uzushiogakure. She knew practically nothing about that village. It had been destroyed years before she had been born. Obliterated by its enemies, together with almost the entire Uzumaki Clan. Akahana couldn't help but wonder what would await her there. How would her Clan react to her existence, especially now that they believed that she was Kushina's sister. There would be some very troubling questions from the Clan and Kushina's family... she was definitely not looking forward to that.

But racking her brain over it surely wouldn't solve anything at the moment. After three days in self imposed isolation, Jiraiya had come to bring her to the meeting point of the Genin teams that would escort her to Uzushio. She was glad that she had at least been allowed to buy proper gear to replace the things she had lost during her fight against Tobi. Though she was unable to find the same clothes that she had worn before, she had at least been able to find other pieces that still suited her.

Jiraiya let out some rather improper comments when he first saw her in her new attire, but he was promptly rewarded with some new bite marks from Kurou. But he was somehow right with his comments. She now wore a black sleeveless kimono blouse which was held close by a blood red obi. She wore a short sleeved mesh armor underneath it. Together with a short black skirt and shinobi sandals normal people would call her outfit a bit too revealing. But that was her point. Showing enough to entice, but too little to be inappropriate. Akahana was aware that most people saw her as pretty, desirable even. That was an advantage against male enemies, that she was taught to exploit if possible. And since her fighting style required agility and speed she was dependent on the mobility that such clothing could provide. Jiraiya, being his usual perverted self, of course welcomed her choice in clothing wholeheartedly. But she did not listen much to him, Kurou would take care of any inappropriate actions from the sannin.

And now her outfit attracted much attention as she followed the sannin through the streets of Konoha on their way to the meeting point. Well either it was her outfit or the constant rumors about her short spat with the Uchiha clan heir. Akahana did not know which it was and she did not really care about it. Another thought was on her mind right now and that was how she should explain the fact that the Hokage and apparently the Uzumaki Clan head believed that she and Kushina are sisters... So far Akahana had avoided that topic... in fact she had avoided everyone for days. But since Kushina was among the Genin for this years Chunin Exam they would inevitably spend some time together. And it would be far better for their relationship, should Kushina hear these news from Akahana and not the head of their clan.

* * *

When Akahana arrived at the meeting point, she saw a group of more than a dozen Genin together with their Jonin senseis, waiting there for Jiraiya and her. It was a tad bit unnerving that so many people, which she only knew as adults, were suddenly watching her with the unabashed curiosity of teenagers. In her time, most of these people had looked at her only with disdain and suspicion.

But there was one among the group that immediately recognized her and stormed forward with a happy expression. "Akahana!" Came the loud exclamation from Kushina as the girl stopped next to Akahana.

"Hey there, Kushina. So you are one of the lucky kids that will get a chance to become Chunin." Akahana replied with a benevolent smile.

"Yep. Soon I will be one step closer to becoming the first female Hokage 'ttebane." Kushina exclaimed loudly, causing most others around her to look at her doubtfully. But none of them would openly contradict her, most remembering very well what Kushina did to the last people who made fun of her.

"I am sure you would do a great job as Hokage, Kushina." Akahana told the younger redhead, though she knew who would eventually become the successor of the Sandaime Hokage. But there was no need to trample on Kushina's dream; Akahana had experienced herself what it was like when others took all your hopes and dreams away from you... she wouldn't do that to any other person.

Kushina, though, only nodded happily, not knowing what the older Uzumaki girl was currently thinking. "Will you come with us to Uzushio?" She suddenly asked curiously.

"Yes, our clan head wants to meet me. Can't say no to such a man."

"That is so great dattebane. Now we can spend some more time together without the perv telling me to stay away." Kushina said happily. Jiraiya who had watched the scene between the two 'sisters' protested loudly when he was called a pervert, but he was utterly ignored by both Uzumakis. "Hey I heard that you are a really strong kunoichi, will you teach me something on the way to Uzushio?"

Akahana laughed lightly when she heard Kushina's request. "As long as your sensei allows it. Maybe we can find something that I could teach you." Kushina's sensei, who was much to Akahana's surprise an elderly Hyuga, watched Akahana with a calculating gaze. It was obvious that the man had his doubts about Akahana being able to teach Kushina anything, so they would most likely have to wait until the man has come to a decision.

But Akahana greatly enjoyed talking to Kushina. It was odd, but just being around the girl had lightened her mood considerably. Kushina's open and cheerful character was a welcome positive influence on Akahana. After growing up with only emotionless people, it was a welcome change for Akahana to be around the girl that would one day be her mother. It was as if she could easily bond to this girl, as if she had found some kind of kindred spirit. In a way Kushina was the kind of person, that Akahana had always wanted to be... the kind of person she could have been, had her childhood been different.

Then another person stepped forward, a young man, that Akahana had met when she woke up in the hospital. "It is good to see you are well again, Akahana-san." Inoichi Yamanaka greeted Akahana with a crooked smile.

"Yes, they finally let me escape from that hospital... I'm glad we meet under less... problematic circumstances this time, Yamanaka-san."

"Please, call me Inoichi. Yamanaka-san makes me sound old... girls are not interested in old men." Inoichi told her with a smirk. Akahana looked a bit suspicious at the blonde, but said nothing in return.

"You know each other?" Kushina asked with a confused tone. It was obvious that she believed that she was the only Genin that had succeeded in fooling the ANBU guard in front of Akahana's room.

"Remember what I told you about the time I woke up here in Konoha?" Akahana asked the younger girl. Kushina thought for a moment before she nodded. "He's the Yamanaka."

At this Kushina looked furious at Inoichi, causing the boy to start sweating, as he fearfully stepped away from the younger redhead. "How dare you try to mess around in the memories of one of my clan mates!?" Kushina raged suddenly.

Akahana could barely hold Kushina by the shoulders before the younger Uzumaki would have done something to the suddenly very scared Inoichi. "Kushina, don't! He did not do it for fun, but because the Hokage ordered him to. Just let him live this time." Akahana's words calmed Kushina down, but the girl still glared at Inoichi as the boy retreated more and more until he found safety behind the walking meat shield of his own team, one Choza Akimichi.

But Akahana's words caused most other people to look oddly at her. The question why the Hokage had ordered a Yamanaka to search through her memories was visible on their faces, but before anyone could ask that particular question Jiraiya exclaimed loudly, "Alright kids. We are all here and ready so move out. I want to be in Uzushio by the end of the week if possible." He was glad that all Genin and their sensei's complied with the order of the sannin and started walking out of the village. He really did not want anyone to find out the exact circumstances that surrounded Akahana. That was a topic that the Hokage had declared as one of the higher secrets. In the wrong hands people could try to use the information they had gotten from Akahana to incite fear of another war to destabilize the village.

Jiraiya waited until everyone else had left before he finally followed the large group out of the village. On his way he watched Akahana and Kushina as both Uzumakis were still in an animated conversation. As he watched them now he wondered how he could have not seen their relation the moment he first laid eyes on Akahana. The similarities between the two redheads was so blatantly obvious once you saw both of them next to each other.

"Sensei?"

Jiraiya looked to his side to see Minato walking next to him; the boy was watching Kushina and Akahana just like his teacher. "Yes, Minato?"

"Is that the girl we have found on our way home from that last C-Rank mission?"

"Yes, Minato, that is her. Akahana Uzumaki. Luckily Tsunade was able to save her before it was too late." Jiraiya replied.

"Are Kushina and that girl... related in a way?" Minato asked with a confused expression.

"Sisters." Was Jiraiya's curt reply. This revelation caused Minato to look at both girls with wide eyes. "But Minato, do not tell anyone about it just yet. It is up to them, whether they tell others or not." And of course he wasn't sure whether Akahana had already told Kushina about this.

"Damn right you are. Keep your noses out of Akahana-hime's business." Kurou exclaimed as he suddenly appeared between Jiraiya and Minato.

"It... talks?" Minato asked wondering where the small fox had come from.

"I didn't do anything out of the ordinary, damn fox. Just stay away from me." Jiraiya said quickly as he grabbed his behind with both hands to keep it safe from the fox.

"Make sure it stays that way, toad human." Kurou replied before he sprinted towards Akahana and Kushina. The latter saw the small fox and promptly picked him up to pet him, much to Kurou's satisfaction.

"Sensei? Are you alright?" Minato asked worriedly when he saw his teacher's reaction to the fox.

"Minato..." Jiraiya said in his most serious voice, one that he only uses for his most important teachings, causing his student to await a new and important lecture that would benefit his future shinobi career. "... that little fox is a demon worse then Kyubi."

"Huh?" Was Minato's surprised reply.

* * *

The group traveled for several hours towards the coast of the Land of Fire, before they decided to stop for the day and build up their camp. Akahana watched intently as the Genin started to fool around as they built up their tents. She herself had retreated a bit from the group and decided to sit on one of the higher branches of a nearby tree to keep an eye out for anything unusual. Even now she couldn't break out of her ingrained habits from the war. But her gaze wandered towards the younger teens from time to time.

"So lighthearted... so foolish..." Akahana mumbled to herself.

"We live in a period of peace, why should we be overly cautious? And we have our senseis with us, just in case something bad happens." Came the voice of a boy from underneath Akahana. She had already seen him approach her position and knew that he was leaning against the tree.

"Peace is just an illusion... violence and war always find a way. We are all shinobi, trained to fight and kill. Our profession makes sure that we will never enjoy peace." Akahana replied bitterly.

"You are a very depressing person, you know. Hard to believe that someone like you is the sister of a chipper person like Kushina." The boy remarked with a grin as he looked up to Akahana. Said girl looked dubiously at him as she heard his words. "By the way I am Minato, Minato Namikaze, future Hokage."

This actually elicited a small snicker from Akahana. "These days all kids want to be Hokage. I somehow doubt that the position is half as entertaining as you all believe it to be." Minato pouted displeased, when heard her words, but he couldn't say anything because Akahana continued. "You shouldn't pry into matters that are none of your concern. Things like family matters within the Uzumaki Clan. Whatever you believe to know, it would be better you keep it to yourself until Kushina and I deem the time has come to tell everyone."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Just stop being so gloomy. Enjoy every day you can live peaceful and undisturbed." Minato said before he walked away.

"What a goofball." Kurou commented as he walked out of the shadow of the tree. Akahana couldn't help but agree. She found it hard to believe that this carefree boy would one day become the most feared shinobi of his generation. That he would actually become the Yondaime Hokage... and her father. Somehow that very thought seemed utterly ridiculous to her. "Had he lived through even half of the things that plague your memories and dreams... he wouldn't be able to close his eyes again without fearing an attack."

"Don't forget that we are in an entirely different situation here... maybe we can keep things from escalating... at least this time. Maybe I can fulfill my duty, at least this time..." Akahana said thoughtfully.

* * *

Meanwhile in Konoha the Hokage once more convened with Danzo Shimura. But this time there were also the Hokages advisers and former teammates present as they discussed the one topic that Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to leave behind now. Akahana Uzumaki. The three councilmen were less then pleased when they heard what had been kept secret from them.

"I still stand by my point, it was a mistake to let her go like that. A girl that could actually keep up with a sannin in a fight... to let someone like that simply go to another village..." Danzo said with a frown. He was angry when he found out that Sarutobi had actually succeeded to keep such a secret from him until the girl was out of the village. He was quite confident that his organization would never fail in finding out any secret in the village. But he was proven wrong, much to his chagrin. And the fact that this girl looked at him like she knew him... her respectful gesture... he was intrigued by this girl.

"It wasn't my decision. She is an Uzumaki and her clan wanted her to come to Uzushio." Sarutobi replied agitatedly.

"They wanted to see her! You should have bound this girl to our village. You should have made her kunoichi of the Leaf or whatever it would have taken to ensure her loyalty to us. She should have gone there as one of our people, not as a free kunoichi looking for a village to serve." Danzo said with vehemence.

"Danzo is right, Hiruzen. Kami knows we can use every strong shinobi and kunoichi we can get. The peace won't last forever, not with Iwa and their illusions of grandeur." Koharu Utatane told her former teammate with a somber expression. "Just from what we heard about her reaction, when you told her, that she has to leave, it is easy to assume that she would have gladly joined our village."

"There is also the fact that we can't trust her. She has many secrets and we don't know how dangerous her presence could be for our village!" Sarutobi defended his decision.

"We have enough skilled ANBU that could have observed her until we would know whose side she is on. But this chance is gone now. Once she is in Uzushio, the Uzumaki will make her a kunoichi of their village. Allies or not, I prefer the power to come from our village." Danzo remarked scathingly.

"This is enough! The decision has been made and there is nothing we can do to change it now. If you three have nothing more pressing to do, then I can find each of you a befitting occupation to fill your time. Now leave, all of you. I have enough work as it is without your senseless bickering." Sarutobi snapped at the three councilmen, causing them to leave.

"Remember, Hiruzen, there is a council for a reason. Next time don't make such vital decisions on your own." Koharu said before she finally left the office.

* * *

It was already dark at the campsite of the Konoha group when Akahana finally abandoned her place on the tree to return to the camp. Almost everyone was in their tents, sleeping or at least close to sleep. All except the two people on guard duty, one sitting at the fire in the center of the camp, the other patrolling a bit away from the tents.

Akahana wasn't really surprised when she saw that the guard at the fire was Jiraiya, the toad sannin seemed to burst with energy the entire day. And now he sat there, with his notes for his next book, reading and sometimes chuckling perversely.

"You really shouldn't write smut, Jiraiya-san. Women don't appreciate that." Akahana said with narrowed eyes as she sat down at the campfire.

"Ah, you are still awake?" Jiraiya said with a surprised tone. It was obvious that he had not expected anyone to join him at the campfire.

"When you live a life filled with war and fighting you tend to change your sleeping habits. I take short naps whenever I can afford them, but I never sleep for long."

Jiraiya shook his head a bit sadly when he heard her words. "Your old life is gone now, why continue with these habits? Once you are back with your clan, you will never be forced to endure something like your past."

Akahana chuckled dryly when she heard his words. "Only in death I can find true peace. And these habits... following some habits religiously was the only thing that kept me from going insane. Order in the bloody chaos that was my life."

"You are truly an enigma most of the time, you know. When you are around Kushina you show a gentle and caring side, but every time we talk, you show just how damaged you really are." Jiraiya stated with a sigh.

"I guess we can relate in a way... we both know what it is like to live during a war... it makes it easier for me to talk about it with someone who at least partially understands what I have been through..." Akahana replied honestly. It was strange, in her time she never really opened up towards Jiraiya, but here with his younger self she could talk as if they had been comrades for the longest time. She could only guess that this younger Jiraiya, a man who had seen the war but had not yet started hiding his own inner turmoil under the mask of the super pervert, was someone she could more readily talk to.

"Akahana?" Came the uncertain voice from one of the tents. Akahana did not need to turn around to know who it was, she immediately recognized the voice.

"You should sleep, Kushina. We still have a long way ahead of us and we will most likely travel with only a few short breaks."

But Kushina ignored the older girl's advice, instead she fully left her tent and sat down next to Akahana. "You seem so depressed? Are you alright?" Kushina asked worriedly.

"Don't worry about me, Kushina. I am more then capable to deal with my problems on my own..."

"So there is something that troubles you!" Kushina stated pointedly. "Is it about your past? I only heard the little bit you just said to the perv... was your life really that hard?"

"I won't burden you with my past, Kushina. It belongs to those things that should better be forgotten." Akahana stated somberly.

"Then forget about all that and build new, happier memories from now on." Her exclamation caused Jiraiya and Akahana to chuckle lightly.

"If it only were that easy..." Jiraiya murmured as he remembered some of his own less pleasant memories from the last war.

Akahana sighed deeply, she knew that now was probably a good moment to talk to Kushina about certain assumptions. But she dreaded how the girl would react to it. "Kushina... you remember when I told you that I was an orphan?" Kushina looked a bit confused why Akahana asked this all a sudden, but she nodded none the less. "While I was still in hospital Tsunade made a test... to find out about my family..."

"Did she find out who you are related to? You said you never knew your father, was he from Konoha?" Kushina asked excitedly.

"No, Kushina... my father was not from Konoha..." Akahana sighed again before she finally said those few words that she dreaded the most. "... according to the test you are my younger sister... well half-sister most likely."

Once Akahana had spoken these words it was eerily silent around the campfire. No one spoke a word as both Jiraiya and Akahana watched Kushina to see a reaction from the younger Uzumaki girl. But so far Kushina looked completely petrified. That was until the younger red head suddenly launched herself at Akahana, knocking the older girl over, in what could only be described as some form of bear hug.

"Do you really mean it? Are you really my sister?" Kushina asked excitedly.

"Well Tsunade did the test three times and even the Sandaime is convinced..."

"Yes! I have an older sister. This is so awesome 'ttebane!" Was Kushina's loud exclamation. Akahana was stunned when she heard Kushina's words. This young girl, that only knew her for such a short time, would willingly accept her, a complete stranger, as her sister. The girl, that was her mother in her time, now looked at her as an older sister... Akahana would definitely need time to fully comprehend that. Jiraiya though only laughed loudly when he saw Akahana's expression. He had seen before, that Akahana felt unsure about telling Kushina about the test results. But seeing this utterly stumped and confused look on Akahana's face was greatly amusing for the toad sannin.

The other people in the camp though found the sudden commotion less amusing. "Shut up, Kushina. Some people are trying to sleep here your troublesome tomato." Came the yell from one the tents. Others said similar things, though they did it with less fervor, just in case Kushina decided to punish any perpetrators that annoyed her.

But Kushina ignored them all. She was still deliriously happy about the unexpected news from Akahana. "So you are really okay with this, Kushina? I hope you do understand what this would mean about your family..."

"It is okay." Kushina reassure Akahana confidently. "So we share the same father... Mom always knew that he wasn't the most faithful man in Uzushio. It is not like it is your fault."

Akahana smiled slightly when she heard that. She was relieved in a way. At least she would not destroy the reputation of a good man this way... but it was odd how casual Kushina talked about this all.

"Say Kushina... how is your... our father? What is he like?"

"I wouldn't know. He was seldom at home, always out of the village to fight or do other things... He... he died a few months after I had been brought to Konoha. Not that it had mattered to me, I hadn't seen him in nearly two years by that time." Kushina replied a bit dejectedly.

"I'm sorry to hear that..." Akahana replied with some uncertainty. She did not really know how to react to hat particular revelation. But once more she realized that she knew practically nothing about her family and that fact truly saddened her.

Jiraiya watched the two sisters with a small smile. He was right, Akahana showed a much softer side around Kushina. And quite frankly he preferred the gentle Akahana over the emotionally damaged weapon Akahana liked to call herself.

"Alright girls, the two of you should get some sleep." At this Jiraiya looked pointedly at Akahana. "Especially you Akahana. Do not worry, you are safe under our watch."

Akahana wanted to protest, but Kushina pulled her up when she stood up from the ground. "Come one, oneesan. You can sleep with me in my tent. I was lucky enough to get one for myself."

"Okay... imouto." Akahana said with a small smile. It felt weird, calling her mother, younger sister, but she also felt happy about it. It had been so long since she felt happy about something, but knowing that Kushina accepted her without prejudice, without a hidden agenda... it meant so much to her. But before Akahana and Kushina could disappear inside the tent Akahana turned around once more to see Jiraiya still sitting near the campfire. As looked in her direction she gave him a thankful smile before she disappeared inside the tent. At least in this time frame the toad sannin seemed to be a man that she could actually trust.

The next morning Akahana knew exactly why Kushina had a tent of her own. None of the other Genin would actually want to share a tent with the young Uzumaki girl. Even in her sleep the girl couldn't stay still. She tossed and turned around in her sleep until she eventually found something she could glomp.

Akahana did not sleep much that night, in fact she was thinking about her situation and whether she should see the Kyubi's last action as a gift or a curse... On the one hand she would now be forced to live through another war... to see the pain and suffering that her parents had lived through. And eventually the time would come when her parents would face the enemy that had killed them... Akahana did not know if she her sanity would survive, getting to know all the people she had never known, just to see them die before her eyes... But on the other hand this was a chance for Akahana. A chance to change the things that had gone wrong in the past. A chance to prevent the horrid future she had seen. A chance to get to know her real family, even though she would never be able to tell them who she really is. But being with them now, seeing them grow up to be the persons they would be remembered as... yes this chance was not a curse. It was truly a gift. It was the first and probably only good thing that the demon has ever done for her.

* * *

The group traveled for three more days, without long breaks, until they reached the coast of the Land of Fire. It was a rather quiet trip, well except for Kushina making sure that everyone in their group knew exactly, that she now had an older sister. In her usual boisterous way the young Uzumaki also shared the happy news with practically everyone they had met on their way. It was heartwarming how much having a sister meant to Kushina. But it also started to annoy most of the other Genin after some time.

Even Akahana felt slightly annoyed after some time. Though it was not really caused by Kushina, but by the rest of their travel group. The fact that the mysterious kunoichi who traveled with them to Uzushio was actually Kushina's sister was something that none of them really expected. So they of course had countless questions for Akahana to answer... but Akahana felt less inclined to answer anything and only gave very vague answers. Jiraiya laughed every time he heard these vague answers, knowing how much those had annoyed his sensei during the short time Akahana had stayed in Konoha.

Only a day after they had reached the coast they had finally reached the island that was known as the Land of Whirlpools. A large wooded island in the sea between the Fire and Water Countries. Now it was only a matter hours until they would reach the gates of the village hidden by the whirling tides, Uzushiogakure.

"Sensei?" Minato asked in a bored tone as he walked next to Jiraiya. "What is Uzushio like? Have you ever been there?"

Jiraiya laughed loudly in obvious amusement over his students obvious curiosity. "Well, Minato, I sure have come around a bit in my time as shinobi. Of course my missions brought me to Uzushio on occasion. Though the last time I was there lies quite some time in the past... If I remember correctly I was still a green Genin during my last visit to the village."

"So what is it like?"

"Ah, Minato, I haven't been there for many years, so things might be a lot different by now. But the village should still be a sight to behold. Large buildings with many artworks depicting whirlpools and such. And the large river the separates the shinobi and the much smaller civilian part of the village... oh well you will see for yourself when we arrive." Jiraiya said with a chuckle.

Akahana listened intently to the sannin's words. She had never seen the village of her clan and was equally curious as the Genin around her. In her time Uzushio had been destroyed decades before she found out about her complete heritage, so she never saw a reason to visit the ruins. But now she actually had the chance to see the village and meet her clan. Two things that she had never expected to ever be able to do.

But as she listened to Jiraiya she suddenly heard something else, a faint cry, not far from their path. As she looked around she could easily see that none of the others had heard it, they all had either only listened to Jiraiya or tried to block out the man's ramblings. At least the Jonin should have heard it, but apparently they were so at ease that they payed only little attention to their surroundings. She doubted that Genin could have heard it, it usually takes years of experience and a trained ear to distinguish the sounds around someone. In a war where an ambush could await you any moment, this skill was a lifesaver.

"Oneesan? Why are you looking so weird?" Kushina asked as she saw Akahana's stern expression.

"Please be silent for a moment, Kushina." Akahana ordered softly as she tried to determine where the sound had come from. Moments later she bolted away into the direction of the cry much to the surprise and shock of the rest of the group.

"Oneesan? What is going on?" Kushina asked in surprise as Akahana started running. Kushina's curiosity quickly got the best of her and so the younger Uzumaki followed her sister despite her own sensei's order to stay put.

"Everyone stay here, I'll bring them back immediately." Jiraiya exclaimed before he set out to follow the two redheads. But he, too, wasn't alone on his quest. "Minato I told you to stay where you are!" Jiraiya admonished his students sternly.

"But sensei, what if Kushina and Akahana-san both need help. You surely could need some backup." Minato stated determinedly. "If there is something I can do then I want to help Kushina and her sister!"

"Damn you and your hero complex, Minato. I will have to break you out of that as soon as this is over." Jiraiya grumbled, knowing that he couldn't afford to spend time on bringing Minato back to the other Genin.

Akahana quickly arrived at the source of the cry and what she saw only fueled her anger. It was an all to familiar scene that she had seen far too often during the war. There on the clearing before her were several men, all obviously armed and dangerous, rouging up a young girl. Akahana had seen this countless time before, but never had she seen men stoop so low to violate a child this young. The girl looked to barely older then six, but the men were not disturbed by what they were doing to the child.

"Stop right there, scum. You won't get away with this." Akahana growled angrily as she appeared a few feet away from the men.

There were three of them, well armed and judging by their attire they were no mere bandits, but shinobi. But there was no hitai-ate or anything else to identify them by. But it didn't matter to Akahana, she had already decided the fate of these men.

"No look there boys. No more need to waste time on the underdeveloped runt. Fate is on our side and has sent us a real babe for our amusement, until the boss shows up." On of the men said as he looked at Akahana lecherously. The other two men also let go of the young girl and focused on Akahana instead, none of them knowing the danger they were in now.

Akahana took six Kunai from a pouch she wore around her left thigh and took three Kunai in each hand as she watched the men with narrowed eyes. The three men merely chuckled when they saw that, not really believing Akahana to be any threat to them. Akahana quickly threw the Kunai at her targets, but much to the amusement of the men she missed them all completely.

"Pah, look at that foolish hussy. Can't even aim correctly. Oh this will bet fun boys, this will be fun."

But Akahana merely smirked. A cold and heartless smirk that unnerved the three men quite a bit. Even her eyes were ice cold now, not a hint of humanity left in them as Akahana flashed through several hand-signs before she called out her technique, a sealing array marked by the six Kunai she had thrown before. The three men groaned loudly as the seal took effect and the gravity around them increased tenfold, making all their movements sluggish.

"Damn with! What have you done?" One of the men yelled in anger.

Akahana did not answer them, instead she shot forwards towards them. The men tried to ready themselves for an attack, but all their movement were still so unbearably slow. But Akahana did not attack the three, but instead she passed them with ease. Her own seal had no effect on her so she could move freely. In one fluid motion Akahana had scooped up the young girl that had sadly also be affected by the seal before Akahana brought her to the edge of the clearing where Kushina had appeared.

"You shouldn't be here, imouto." Akahana admonished sternly, her voice still bare of any emotion. "But I don't have time to scold you now. Keep this girl safe. Make sure she does not see what I'm about to do... on a second thought, you better don't watch either." Akahana ordered quickly before she handed the young girl to Kushina.

Not even waiting for an answer, Akahana charged back towards the three men, that were just about to reach the edge of the sealing array. But they would never leave it alive. Not even wasting any more Chakra on these brutes, Akahana pulled out her katana and proceeded to cut down all three men without mercy. It was obvious that the three men were nothing more then crudely trained monkeys, not even able to land a single hit on her as she whirled around them in fluid motions, slashing them every now and then. When she was done with the three men she was panting slightly. She knew she had wasted too much energy on these measly enemies, but in her anger she couldn't really bring herself to care.

But in a moment of unawareness another man appeared directly behind her, just in the moment that Akahana deactivated the sealing array. The man had a Kunai in each hand, ready to strike her down as he attacked her from behind.

Akahana braced herself for the pain that would come with the attack, but to her surprise it never came. Instead the man was sent flying by a quick kick to his head, courtesy of Jiraiya. "Nothing to fear, the Gallant Jiraiya is here." The sannin said with a crooked grin.

But the man was not beaten yet and jumped up before he ran away from Akahana and Jiraiya, directly in the direction of Kushina, the girl and Minato, who had been ordered by his sensei to guard the two girls.

"Oh no, you bastard. Don't even think about it." Yelled Akahana in her anger. "Futon: Kazekire no Jutsu." With a swing of her sword she sent wind-blades at the man's legs, cutting them open in the process. But he still did not stop in his track.

Jiraiya quickly set to follow the man. He knew that Minato and Kushina were anything but weak children, but he still would defend them at all cost. But before he was even close to the man a sphere of compressed air, another Wind Jutsu of Akahana, passed by him and slammed into the man's back, sending him flying against a nearby tree where he remained unconscious.

This time Akahana did not waste any time. This attacker seemed more skilled and at least more intelligent then the other three. She quickly walked over to the unconscious man and looked at him with disdain. Jiraiya was near her when she once more flashed through the hand-signs for another seal. As she called out the seals name she touched the base of the man's neck, making the seal appear there with a soft glow.

"What did you do to him? I don't recognize that particular seal." Jiraiya asked with obvious interest.

"It is some sort of containment seal. If placed correctly it can paralyze a limb... or in this case the entire body from the neck downwards. He won't be moving much on his own, but the bastard will have to answer some questions once we are at the village." Akahana said with a cold snarl.

"Useful seal, many villages would pay a fortune to have something like that. Makes capture missions so much easier." Jiraiya commented idly.

"I designed it for combat. To take out an enemies arms and legs to cripple him during a fight. This... is just another less violent use for it..."

As Jiraiya still marveled about Akahana's seal the Uzumaki girl already walked over to Kushina, Minato and the young girl she had saved moments before. Kushina and Minato looked at Akahana in awe after her display of strength, but the young girl was quietly sobbing in Kushina's arms while Kushina made sure that the girl would not see the fight.

"Are all of you alright?" Akahana asked a bit wearily.

"Yeah..."

"That was so awesome! Will you teach me some wind techniques? Please." Minato asked giddily.

"Maybe later, Minato." Minato grinned widely when he heard the answer, but Akahana quickly ignored his ramblings. "Hey there, young one. There is nothing you have to fear. We will help you and bring you back to the village. Those men will never hurt you again." Akahana softly as she knelt down next to Kushina and the young girl. The child was slowly stopping to sob as she looked at Akahana with her big dark eyes.

"Promise?" She asked weakly.

"Yes, I promise you that." Akahana said with a smile. "Tell me child, what is your name?"

"Ho..Honoka. Honoka Uzumaki." Kushina looked surprised at this answer, but Akahana had already suspected it when she first saw the girls red hair. There were only few people near Uzushio that had red hair without belonging to the Uzumaki Clan.

"Everything alright here?" Jiraiya asked as he approached the group with the unconscious man slung over his shoulder.

"Yes. All is fine now. We should get back to the others." Akahana replied with a firm voice. "Kushina, please keep an eye on Honoka for a moment. There is something I have to talk with Jiraiya about."

"Okay, oneesan. We will wait with the others. Don't be long!" Kushina said as she picked up the younger girl and left the scene with a still giddy Minato in tow.

Akahana waited until the other three were gone before her face once more morphed into the cold and calculating mask. "Something is foul here. I doubt that these four were only here to force themselves on a helpless girl..." Akahana muttered darkly.

"Well we will find out when this fellow has been thoroughly interrogated." Jiraiya replied somberly. "But I was right, you are no pushover. Makes me glad that you were not at full strength during our fight... those techniques looked painful."

"I fight to survive. I don't have time to take into account how much I would hurt an enemy that would kill me on the spot." Akahana retorted tersely.

"You change your moods far too often..." Jiraiya said with a sigh. "I prefer the soft spoken girl you are when you are with Kushina. Your personality right now is downright scary."

"I've learned to behave appropriate to the given situation. Gentleness has now place in battle. But neither has hate and coldness a place, when you around your family." Akahana said with a sad shake of her head. "Come one, Jiraiya-san, lets get back to the others. They must have believed that I would make a run for it."

"Well you did run away without telling anyone what was going on..." Jiraiya stated with a nervous chuckle. But Akahana surprised him when she chuckled herself, rather amused about the thought of her running away from something like meeting her clan for the first time.

The rest of the group looked at Akahana with suspicion and worry before Jiraiya explained what had happened. While the Genin shuddered at the mere thought of what these men were about to do to a six year old child, the Jonin only watched Akahana closely, as if they are waiting for her to try and run again. It was indeed odd for her... the only explanation for their behavior that Akahana could think of was that the Sandaime Hokage had ordered the Jonin to make sure that she arrives at Uzushio without telling them the actual reason... Did they think she was some sort of criminal? A missing nin who ran away from her village? She knew she had been watched the entire way here, but she merely believed that it were only the curious gazes of the Genin.

Akahana couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen to her. Ever since she had saved Honoka from those men she had been under constant watch, one of the Jonin always close enough to stop her should she try to run again. She did not really understand why they treated her like a prisoner all of a sudden, but she knew that this was bad news for her. She really started to wonder what the Uzumaki Clan head had written the Hokage to warrant such treatment.

* * *

When they finally walked through the gates of Uzushio and entered the hidden village the rest of the group looked in awe at the foreign village, taking in the sights of this magnificent place. But Akahana couldn't concentrate on the village itself. No, the moment they walked through the gates she could already see a group of four redheaded shinobi approaching them, their eyes constantly trained on her. She really had a bad premonition now, but it was obvious that there was no escape. At least she would soon understand why everyone acted this strangely all of a sudden.

The group of Uzu shinobi stopped directly in front of her, ignoring the rest of the Konoha group entirely, as they watched Akahana for any signs of an attempted escape. "Akahana Uzumaki, on orders of our clan head and the Uzukage you are ordered to come with us. Failure to comply with this order will be punishable by death." One of the shinobi snarled at her. Just by the way the four looked at her it was obvious that they would prefer her to run.

"Oneesan?" Kushina asked confused as she looked at Akahana. Even Honoka, who stood next to Kushina, looked wide eyed at the girl who had saved her. No one in the group understood why there was such animosity between members of the same clan.

"It is alright, Kushina. Stay with Jiraiya and report to the Uzukage what you have seen in the forest. I will be fine, trust me." Akahana replied sternly before she turned towards the four Uzu shinobi. "I am ready to go, bring me to your clan head." Akahana ordered them coldly. Before she could even have another look at Kushina and the rest of the group the Uzu shinobi had already grabbed her by the arms and led her away like a prisoner.

"Sensei? What the heck has just happened?" Minato asked Jiraiya.

"I have no idea, Minato. I have no idea..." Jiraiya mumbled absent minded. Something wasn't right here. Did the Uzumaki know more about Akahana and her past? Had she lied to all of them... was she really a kunoichi from Uzushio? There were so many questions once more. Jiraiya couldn't help himself but feel worried for the enigmatic Uzumaki girl he had gotten to know these last few days.


	6. Whirlpool Part II

**Whirlpool Part II**

Akahana couldn't help herself but scowl, as the four Uzumaki shinobi lead her through the streets of Uzushio like a prisoner. This attracted so much attention... she hated to be the center of all attention. The people they passed stared at the odd group of redheads, as the four shinobi pulled Akahana along. Most people looked confused, but Akahana could easily see that every single redhead they passed so far had glared at her with disgust.

Akahana was used to being shunned and hated, it was the most common way people reacted to her in her own time. No matter what she did, the people of Konoha would never fully trust her... never really accept her. But at least Akahana knew the reason for the behavior of those people. But she had no idea why every single Uzumaki in this village seemed to hate her... there was no feasible explanation... and unlike the hate of Konoha's civilians, the hate of her own clan truly bothered her.

After nearly twenty minutes of walking through the crowded streets of Uzushio the small group of redheads finally reached their intended destination. The gate to the largest clan compound in the village, the home of the Uzumaki Clan.

As the four shinobi pulled Akahana along with them inside the compound, the feeling of dread returned to her with a strength she had not felt before. So many people were there to watch the group. Men, women and children... and all of them glared at her... She felt the urge to run; to simply run away and never look back. It was an odd feeling. She knew what it meant to feel fear. But this... it wasn't simply fear, but the knowledge that even in the past, a time where she was no Jinchuriki, where she had done nothing wrong, she was still not accepted by the people. Worse yet, it was her own clan, the people who should be her family that seemed to despise her without any logical explanation.

* * *

Jiraiya sighed in exasperation as he finally left the office of the Uzukage. Though the man was grateful for their help, he was also extremely stubborn when it came to dealing with the problem. Even the offer to have the Yamanaka in their group browse through the memories of the captured man was brushed aside as unnecessary. It was troublesome how arrogant the man was when it came to the capabilities of his own men. The question how the young Honoka Uzumaki was captured by those men in the first place though, was a question that the Uzukage did not even want to discuss. In the end it took Jiraiya nearly half an hour to just get the man to acknowledge that the Konoha shinobi would be available to help if necessary.

"Sensei, what are we supposed to do with the girl now? The Uzukage did not even comment on what to do with her." Minato asked his teacher with a displease frown. He, too, disliked the way the foreign Kage had treated them.

"Well... she is an Uzumaki. We should bring her to the Uzumaki compound and see if we can find her family." Jiraiya decided quickly.

"Then we can also meet up with oneesan." Kushina chirped happily.

"Yeah..." Minato drawled dubiously. "Is it just me or are the Uzushio shinobi acting a bit weird. First the Uzumaki come and take Akahana-san with them like she was their prisoner, then the Uzukage acts like he wants to cover up the whole kidnapping of a child..."

"We will find out what is going on soon enough, Minato. But you better report back to the rest of our group and our team. Tell them what has happened and that I will return soon." Jiraiya said with a stern expression.

"But..." Minato protested.

"Minato, I am your sensei and you will follow my orders. Now go!" Jiraiya growled. He didn't like being the mean and stern teacher, especially not in front of Minato, but he had a premonition that the situation at the Uzumaki clan compound would not be pretty when they arrive

Begrudgingly Minato left his teacher alone with Kushina and Honoka. He wanted to stay and help, but he knew better then act against Jiraiya's orders, when the sannin was like this. All he could do now was wait and see.

* * *

Akahana looked at the current head of the Uzumaki Clan with rather mixed feelings. Toshiro Uzumaki was a very imposing man, even despite his old age. Due to the Uzumaki vitality and the general longevity of the people in Uzushio the man showed no sign of his old age, instead he looked he would have in his prime. From what she heard the man was far older than the Sandaime, but there were no outward signs of that. He was a deadly shinobi, feared by all his enemies and even some of his allies. The mere aura, that surrounded the man demanded respect and promised pain and death should his demand not be met. Even Akahana, despite all she had seen in her life couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by the clan head of the Uzumaki.

Despite her uneasiness in the presence of the man, Akahana still forced a stoic look on her face to hide all emotions she had at that moment. She would not show weakness, she would not falter. For whatever reason these people seemed to hate her she would not let it get her down. Not after all she has been through.

"Sit down." He growled dangerously at her after her guards had left the room in a hurry. The old clan head sat at his desk, his chin resting on the back of his hands as he watched her warily.

Akahana slowly complied and sat down across from the man, her eyes never leaving him for a moment. At this point she wouldn't put it past these people, to suddenly jump up and attack her. The entire situation was far too tense for her liking.

"What is this all about? Why have you called me here and why am I treated like a criminal? I have never done..."

"Be silent, insolent child." Toshiro's voice boomed through the room, effectively shutting Akahana up. "I am the one to ask the questions here."

"Then ask, so we can get this over with. I have no wish to stay longer in this village or with this clan than necessary." Akahana stated scathingly.

This only caused Toshiro's eyes to narrow even more. "Where are you from?"

"That is none of your concern." Akahana snapped back.

"Be careful, child, you don't want to incur my wrath." Toshiro growled angrily. "Why do you claim the Uzumaki name? Answer truthful or I will have someone get the answers out of you."

"I've already endure the worst kinds of torture, your people can do nothing that would scare or surprise me!" This statement caused Toshiro to watch the girl in front of him more with confusion then distrust, but he resolved to ask that particular question later.

"Answer. My. Question." Toshiro said in a menacing tone.

Akahana sighed at that, she hated recounting her past again and again. "I grew up as an orphan. My mother died shortly after I was born; my father... I have never met the man and was told that he was probably dead, too. I only knew that one of my parents was an Uzumaki, nothing else. So I grew up with this last name."

"If you know nothing about your parents except that one of them was from this clan, why do you claim to be the older sister of Kushina Uzumaki?"

"I do not claim that. I was told that she was my sister!" Akahana replied with vehemence.

"Told by whom?"

"By the Sandaime Hokage. He had one of his students make a test. Tsunade Senju of the Sannin did the test three times to be sure. Later they confronted me with the results, much to my own surprise. I neither knew nor expected that Kushina was related to me." Akahana glared even more at the old man before her as she saw a disbelieving frown on his face. "Do the test yourself if you want to be sure!"

"Oh believe me, we will redo those test and we will be very thorough." Toshiro replied.

"Just why do you even bother so much with it? Why are you so interested in this entire topic? Kushina is part of Konoha now, she is a Konoha kunoichi and will most likely never return here."

"Why I care you ask? Why I care?" Toshiro exploded towards Akahana. "Why shouldn't I care for the daughter of my youngest son? Why shouldn't I care for my only living grand child?" Akahana gaped when she heard his words, again she inwardly cursed herself for knowing so little about her mother's family. She had never known that Kushina was from the main house of the Uzumaki family.

"So you believe I am only claiming this because she is your granddaughter? Is that it? You treat me like a damn criminal, you hate me, you shun me... and all that because you believe I am an imposter that tries to use Kushina for her own gain?" Akahana asked with disbelieve.

"Your sudden appearance is far too convenient. I have no heirs... both my sons are dead and my only grandchild must serve another village for the sake of our damn alliance with them. And all of a sudden you show up. Bastard child or not, you are older then Kushina; you were obviously born before my son's marriage and you serve no village... at least not officially. This is all just too damn convenient." Toshiro said with distaste.

"You believe that I am only here to steal from you? Do you think that I am some sort of beggar, that comes here to demand anything from a clan, that has not cared about my existence for the last eighteen years? You should remember that I am only here because you demanded my presence. Without your demand, the Hokage would have simply sent me away from Konoha and I would be able todo whatever I want with my life. Instead I am here, treated like a damn prisoner." As she yelled in outrage Akahana slammed her fists on the desk, leaving small cracks at the impact points. She was angry at that moment, she wanted to rage even more... but she also wished to be anywhere but here. She wished she had never been brought to Uzushio only to hear that her own family saw her as nothing but a beggar and thief.

"Sit back down!" Toshiro yelled at her, but this time she wouldn't budge. She was beyond livid now. All her training to restrain her own feelings was forgotten in the face of this outrageous treatment she had to endure.

"No. I won't listen to this bunch of bullshit. You called me here! You are the only reason that I have come here! You, not me! And now you dare to call me some sort of interloper... I couldn't care less for who you are and whether we are related."

At this the old Uzumaki finally stood up and glared down at the smaller girl before he lost all restraint and grabbed her collar over the desk and pulled her forwards. "You are here, in my house, the home of my clan and you will show me respect and you will do whatever I tell you. Bastard or not, if you really are a Uzumaki, then you will do as you are told!" He yelled at her as his face was only slightly away from Akahana's at this point.

"It is obvious that your clan does not even consider me a member so why do you even care about me? Just let me leave in peace and you will never hear from me again." Akahana hissed at the man.

"Oh no, you will stay here under my watch until I have come to the conclusion about what to do with you!"

"Give me one good reason why you are so insistent on treating me like this!" She demanded angrily.

"Because the last time I allowed a bastard into my family, it had cost me one of my sons and his entire family!" He exclaimed in outrage.

To Akahana this exclamation was like someone had dumped a bucket of ice cold water over her head. Her anger dissipated when she realized that the man acted not out of malice towards her, like so many people had done in the past, but simply because he wished to protect his family and saw her as a threat... She visibly deflated and shrunk back into her seat as Toshiro let her go. Her anger was gone... sadness had taken its place now. Sadness that even here with people who did not even know her she would be judged for actions that were not even her own... Sadness that even her own family would never accept her without any fault on her side.

"I... I never knew my family... I never expected to find it and I never expected anything from my family to begin with. You know nothing about me, yet you will judge me for the actions of a person I have never met in my life..." Akahana said sadly, her gaze averted from Toshiro. The Uzumaki Clan head could only look at her in confusion about the sudden change in her attitude. "I should have known that I should never expect to be treated fair at least once in my life..."

"You..." Toshiro started, but he somehow couldn't find the words to express his current thoughts.

"I have never been, nor will I ever be a threat to your family, Toshiro-sama." The sudden use of honorifics and her dejected tone surprised the clan head. Where the girl had shown a somewhat fiery temper before she was now acting like a person that has lost all hope in life.

To say that he was surprised would have been an understatement in this situation; even his own anger was slowly leaving him at this sight. He felt uneasy to watch this girl like this. Bastard child or not, this girl might really be a grandchild of his and to see anyone from his family looking defeated like this did not sit right with the old Uzumaki. But before he could say or do anything to change this situation, Akahana spoke up again.

"If this is all, Toshiro-sama, I would like to rest for now... I will await your judgment... whatever your decision may be, I will obey..."

"You may go." Toshiro replied with a sigh. He knew it was better to end the conversation here. He would definitely need some time to come to terms with this entire situation. "But you will be under constant watch and your are forbidden to leave Uzushio." He added with a stern tone.

"I understand, Toshiro-sama." Came Akahana's sad reply before she bowed slightly and left the office.

"Why do I feel like the monster here?" Toshiro asked himself loudly.

"Because this girl has done nothing to incur the wrath of this clan and yet you let her suffer like this." Came the reply from a woman that stepped out of the shadows behind the desk.

"I see that new suppression seal of yours is finally perfected. Not even I felt your presence in this room, Misaki." The old Uzumaki said with a slight chuckle. "I really thought you would be with your daughter at the moment. After all you haven't seen Kushina in years."

"Don't change the subject, otousan." Misaki chastised her father-in-law slightly. "And it was only you who did not notice my presence."

Toshiro sighed exasperatedly as he looked at Misaki. "Do you believe her story?"

"She does look a lot like my daughter and I wouldn't discount the chance that my dear husband was not as faithful in the past as he should have been."

"Aye... my sons truly were no shining examples of fidelity." Toshiro agreed begrudgingly.

"I pity the poor girl. Have you seen the desperation in her eyes when she found out why you distrust her. I can only wonder what she has been through in her past, but apparently the thought, that her family would throw her out without even knowing her, is hurting her deeply." Misaki said with a sad tone.

"No matter how we feel about her, she still is a child that should not exist. The clan is weary of her very existence after..." He stopped himself before he spoke the words that would bring back hurtful memories. "But the decision about her future in the clan isn't mine to make anyways. The elder council will decide her fate."

"But their judgment will never be fair. She is an outsider, they will never accept her. Especially not because taking her in would make her your eldest grandchild. Those elders wouldn't let that happen. They already have other plans for your succession." Misaki spoke scathingly. Though the elder council only had the clans well being in mind they would be willing to destroy the live of one person for the sake of their plans.

"There is still much we don't know about this girl." Toshiro mumbled to himself. "Who are you, Akahana Uzumaki?"

"I will find out what I can. But now I have to meet my daughter and greet her properly." Misaki said before she left the office to find Kushina. Toshiro stayed behind, this time alone in his office to collect his thoughts. Oh he knew this entire situation would cause him a huge headache before it was finally resolved.

* * *

As Akahana left the main building of the Uzumaki compound, she could already see Jiraiya and Kushina approach the building with the young Honoka in tow, but at that moment Akahana did not want companionship. She needed time for herself so she quickly left the area in a different direction before they could reach her.

Kushina saw this and wanted to follow her sister, but stopped when a familiar voice addressed her. "Let her be for now, Kushina-chan. She will need some time to come to terms with her situation."

"Okaasan." Kushina said happily before she went to hug her mother for the first time in years.

"It is good to finally see you again, Kushina-chan. Have you been alright in Konoha? I do hope for their own good, that you have been treated properly." Misaki said with a smile as she held her daughter.

"It's okay. I got used to some of the weirder characters in that village, but most people are really nice to me after all."

But then Misaki saw the other two persons behind Kushina and went to greet them after she and her daughter had let go of each other. "Oh, Jiraiya-san. The last time I have seen you you were still a little hyper Genin and now look at you. Here as a Jonin with your own team. I can still remember father and I showing you some sealing techniques on the request of Sarutobi-san." Misaki said with a laugh.

Jiraiya scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he remembered his last visit here; so many years ago before the last war had started and changed all their lives. "I am glad to see you again, Misaki-sempai."

"Oh and who have we here? Found our little notorious runaway?" Misaki said as she saw Honoka next to Jiraiya. "Where have you found her this time? She likes to explore far too much for her own good."

Jiraiya was unsure whether it was the right place to tell Misaki about where they had found Honoka, they were still in the middle of the courtyard of the Uzumaki compound. "Maybe we should go to a more private place for that discussion."

"Ah, of course. How about my own study? No one will disturb us there without a good reason."

"But Akahana..." Kushina said a bit hesitantly as she looked in the direction that her sister had disappeared in.

"Your sister needs some time to herself, Kushina-chan." That exclamation attracted some curious looks from Jiraiya and a few others around them, that had heard Misaki's words. It was obvious that not many would have expected the woman to acknowledge her husband's illegitimate child this openly.

"But..."

"Kushina, I said inside." Misaki replied sternly as she cut off her daughter's objection. "You can't help her with her current problems, so don't interfere." It was obvious for Misaki that even in the short time Kushina had spent with Akahana so far, that her daughter had already formed a sisterly bond with Akahana. She was glad that her daughter did not judge her half sister badly for their fathers infidelity, Akahana would soon need someone who would support her. The council's decision would not be in Akahana's favor, that much was certain.

* * *

In another part of the village, three men were currently meeting to discuss the latest setback in their plan. The men were less than amused, when they found out that their latest action had been foiled by their subordinates' inability to remain unseen and the untimely arrival of the Konoha shinobi.

"It was an unfortunate setback, but nothing that we can't fix. None of the lost men were important in any way." One of the men commented in a bored manner.

"And what about the one they have captured? If he starts to spill what he knows, then everything is over. No, no we can't continue here. The plan is off I tell you. You screwed up big time." The second one exclaimed in obvious distress.

"Don't worry, fool. That idiot won't survive the night. No one will make him talk. The plan continues just like we have agreed." The third said vehemently.

"Good. Do not disappoint me." The first said authoritatively. "My master would be very displeased with that."

"I will honor our bargain, don't you forget your part of the deal!" The third retorted angrily.

"Yes, yes. Free passage to my village for you and your allies. Don't worry, I never forget those who have served me faithfully." The first exclaimed with a dark chuckle.

"Of course. We won't fail again. Next time I will do it myself and I will obliterate all those, who dare to stand in my way. It is about time for me to leave this dieing village anyway." The third retorted with a self confident tone.

"Don't wait too long. The Uzumaki are distracted at the moment and won't be able to act in time. Use the unrest, that the appearance of that bastard child has caused, to your own advantage."

"But... there are so many powerful shinobi among that clan... maybe we should just forget all of this and simply run..." The second said with a pale face.

"Damn coward. We will fulfill our side of the bargain. I won't leave this village to live like a beggar and criminal after all I have achieved in my life." The third growled angrily. "Come now, we have to plan our next step you spineless coward."

"Do not disappoint me again, Akihiro. Next time I will show no leniency." The first warned the other man with a dark chuckle before he quickly vanished from the room. The other two remained behind in their current hideout to formulate a new plan to acquire their price.

* * *

Misaki frowned as she left the office of her father-in-law for the second time that day. After her short conversation with Jiraiya she knew that there was little time to waste. A child of the clan had been kidnapped, right under their noses and no one had realized it until it would have been too late. Had it not been for Akahana, then little Honoka would most likely already be on a ship to some other nation so other villages could experiment on her to unravel the secret of the famed Uzumaki vitality. This particular bloodline was the envy of many other clans and entire villages; paired with the innate talent for Fuinjutsu that all Uzumaki possess it was very tempting for all enemies of the Uzumaki to steal a defenseless child and unravel the secrets of the clan.

Toshiro Uzumaki had been beyond angry when he found out about this entire incident. Not just because an enemy had succeeded with kidnapping a child but also because the Uzukage had failed to inform them immediately of this entire problem. Toshiro should have been present during the report in the Uzukage's office, but the village leader had not summoned anyone from the clan. Instead it seemed almost as if he tried to cover it up. But the notion that the Uzukage could be involved in this was utterly ridiculous and every thought in that direction was quickly discarded. No it was merely seen as a sign of disrespect. Toshiro and the Uzukage had never really seen eye to eye.

And poor little Honoka had gotten the fright of her life during the ordeal. The child was a prime target within the clan. She was an orphan and though the clan took care of each and every child, it still meant that it would take far longer for anyone to notice Honoka's absence. Paired with the girls love to explore and wander around, she became the perfect target for any enemy.

Misaki let out a long sigh as she slowly walked down a path in the compound that leads to a small lake within the city walls. She needed time and room to think. The quiet solitude at the shore of the lake had always helped her to solve the most frustrating problems.

But what she saw this time surprised her greatly. Underneath a tree near the water sat Akahana with a faraway look on her face, the same sadness she had shown before still visible in her face and posture. Misaki resolved to talk a bit to her late husband's illegitimate child, at least to show Akahana that not the entire Uzumaki Clan was against her. But before she could approach Akahana someone else beat Misaki to it.

* * *

"Hi." Akahana looked a bit surprised at the sudden voice next to her. She had been so deep in her own thoughts that she had not even realized that another person had approached her. But to her surprise it wasn't another clan member that would scoff at her, but the little girl that she had saved from those men.

"Oh, it's you. Honoka, right?" At this the young girl nodded happily. "What are you doing out here, Honoka?"

"Exploring." The girl stated with a bright smile. It was almost as if nothing bad had ever happened to her. Akahana could only marvel how the girl could simply continue on like nothing had happened after what those men had nearly done to her.

"It is dangerous to wander around alone at your age, Honoka." Akahana chastised lightly. "Aren't your parents worried about you, when you run around like this?"

"No... " The girl replied demurely. "My parents have been gone for many many days now. Others take care of me, but they never have time to play or explore."

It was a sobering realization that hit Akahana when she heard that. This little girl was like her, an orphan. But yet this girl was also completely different. Unlike her, this girl still had the rest of her family to watch over her. Though that is no replacement for actual parents, it still means that she would never have to feel completely alone.

"Honoka-chan, I thought I have told you that you are not to leave your room until I call for you. You will still get punished for disobeying me and running away again." Came Misaki's voice from behind the two younger girls.

"Misaki-sama, I..." Honoka suddenly seemed a little distressed when she saw Misaki approaching them. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, my dear. You are not supposed to wander around alone anymore. I really thought that you earlier ordeal would have taught you that lesson at least." Misaki scolded the young girl in a motherly tone. "Now you better get back to the main house and wash up for dinner or else I won't teach you any new seals for a month." Hearing this the girl suddenly jerked up and started running back to the house.

"Isn't she a bit young to learn Fuinjutsu?" Akahana asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, but she loves to draw the seals, even though she lacks the Chakra and control to get them to work yet." Misaki said with a bright smile.

"She is a lucky girl. Being loved and cared for despite being orphan... not all of us have that much luck." Akahana said with a melancholic sigh.

"Was your past that horrible?" Misaki asked in return.

"You wouldn't want to know. It is obvious that only very few Uzumaki care to at least act civil around me. I don't expect anyone here to try and understand me."

"Believe me, I want to understand you. To get to know you." Misaki stated truthfully.

"Why?"

"Because I want to know what kind of person my daughter's half sister is."

Akahana looked strangely at Misaki. She had long given up to be surprised about meeting family members that she has never heard of before. But this woman, Akahana couldn't help but scrutinize her closely. So this was Kushina's mother... her own grandmother. Another person that had died long before she even found out about her family.

"You wouldn't like what you would hear... my life wasn't exactly pleasant so far."

"Then tell me. Share your burden with me so I can understand who you really are. So I can help you. Seeing how my daughter already feels connected to you, can only mean that you are not an evil person."

"Many people would disagree with you on that last statement..." Akahana replied with a humorless laugh. "I have never met my parents, people always told me that they were dead, but nothing more. I did not even know their names except for the fact that one of them was an Uzumaki and that I was given this last name for that reason." She sighed sadly as she closed her eyes as she remembered her early childhood. "The first few years of my life I had spent in an orphanage. For reasons that I did not know, I was treated different from the other kids. I was shunned, starved and neglected. For the first few years of my life I knew nothing about normal human interaction because of that, I never experienced what it meant to be loved and supported."

Misaki gasped when she heard that. She was unable to imagine why anyone could be so cruel to treat a child like this. What could a child this young have done to deserve this fate? But she also realized that they were no longer alone; another person had come closer and listened intently to Akahana's sad tale. Misaki did not know whether Akahana had detected the other person, but the girl continued on as if no one else was there.

"For four years I spent my life in that darkness. Until... until he came..."

"He?" Misaki asked confused.

"My mentor. Not long after my fourth birthday he came and freed me from that dreadful existence. To the abused little child I had been at that time, he was like a dream that had come true. My savior... from that day onward my sole reason to live." Akahana could still remember the day clearly when he came into the dark room she had to live in.

"Sounds like a good man..."

"Far from it." Akahana scoffed. "But he was the first person to acknowledge my existence. The first person who saw more in me, than the abused child that was worth less then the dirt on the street. He gave my life a meaning by training me... by training me to become his weapon."

"What!" Misaki exclaimed in outrage. "How could anyone dare..."

"It was a better life then the one I had in the orphanage. By the time I was four I only had one wish... I wanted to die, so it all would end. It takes a lot of cruelty to crush the spirit of a young child like this. But he... he gave my existence a new meaning. He trained me; it was hard, sometimes inhuman. But I was happy and endured it all. Because the cruel training served a purpose whereas my suffering before only served for the amusement of the orphanage's matrons. And thus I became a weapon. Leaving my humanity behind, to be able to serve better. I learned a lot... I did a lot. Things that I am not proud of... things that I would rather forget. But I did all of it willingly for my mentor. I would have died happily for him... he was after all the closest thing to a father I have ever known."

Misaki couldn't help but curse her late husband as she heard the story. If he had not abandoned his first born child then Akahana would not have had to suffer like this. She would have grown up as a part of the clan even if he did not want to be there for her. He should have brought the girl to Uzushio at the very least.

Even though Akahana was not really the daughter of her husband, but his granddaughter instead, there was no doubt that the clan would have given the child a brighter future. But little did Misaki know about the true background of Akahana's story. To her it was obvious that this girl was Kushina's sister. Just by looking at Akahana she could only see this older version of her own daughter, with the destinctive features of the Uzumaki clan.

"I always tried to become stronger and more useful. All my life revolved around the wish to improve and to serve... but in the end it was all futile. I was too weak... too slow. My mentor and all the people I knew and cared for died. One after another they were taken away from me, until I was once more alone. I was hate filled at that point and hunted those responsible for my mentor's death. One by one I found them and destroyed them. But revenge did not take away the pain, it did not bring back the dead. It only served to nearly kill me... and in the end I was almost dead when Jiraiya-san and his team found me and brought me to Konoha. The rest of the story... you should already know that..." Akahana leaned back against the tree, her eyes still closed as she fought her feelings down. It would do no good to cry over the past.

Misaki couldn't help but feel the sorrow that radiated off the girl next to her. She was still so young and had already been through so much more suffering than most adults would ever experience in their entire lives. And much to Akahana's obvious shock Misaki engulfed her in a tight hug, holding her close as she spoke soothingly. "Don't worry about the past anymore. You won't have to suffer like this again if I can help it. That past is gone now, let it go and start anew."

Akahana felt helpless in this situation. Helpless since she did not know how to react to such a display. The woman who hugged her at the moment was indeed her family, her grandmother to be precise. But she had never experienced what it meant to be supported by her own family. She had no idea what to do now, so she remained silent as she returned the hug.

"Don't worry about what awaits you in the future, Akahana. No matter what the clan council decides, I will help you and support you. Even though you are not mine, I will still treat you like my daughter. And never forget that your sister will also be there for you." Misaki declared softly as she looked pointedly at the person behind them.

There, only a few feet away from them stood Toshiro Uzumaki. The old clan head had listened to Akahana's story without uttering a word to make his presence known. But Misaki could easily see that he, too, was affected by Akahana's sad tale. His fists were clenched tightly, a look of anger on his face. Misaki knew that the anger was not directed at the girl in her arms, but at those who had caused the suffering of one of Toshiro's grandchildren. Though he had declared that he would demand another test to confirm the girls relation, they had already accepted that Akahana was truly one of them. They knew that she was a true Uzumaki, but even that would not influence the clan council's decision in the slightest.


	7. Whirlpool Part III

**Whirlpool Part III**

It was late at night as Akahana sat on the bed of her hotel room, her restless mind keeping her from sleeping. This day had been many things. It was an emotional up and down, that she would have rather avoided. But she knew it was no use to waste her thoughts on this any more then she already had. She would have to live with the fact that she would always be judged for the actions of other people.

She sighed deeply as she tried to banish all thoughts from her mind so she could finally find sleep. But to no avail as she realized that she was not as alone as she had thought before.

"Yo, Akahana-hime." Came the cheerful greeting from her little fox companion.

"Kurou... where have you been the entire day? Haven't seen you since that fight."

"Missed me?" The fox asked with an expression that could only be described as somewhat gleeful.

"Hardly... I actually hoped you fell of the ship and drowned..." Akahana deadpanned. As much as she appreciated the company sometimes, the little fox could be a real pain in the neck most of the time. And she couldn't help but feel weary in his presence whenever she remembered that Kurou was only here on orders of the demon to keep an eye on her...

"Ungrateful humans..." Kurou replied before he jumped off the bed and walked over to the open window to look outside on the peacefully sleeping village. "It's so quiet, I can hardly believe that this is a village that has not seen a single day of peace for decades."

Akahana joined the fox at the window, a smile on her lips as she felt a soft breeze on her skin. "Kurou..." She asked after some moments of silence, "... you said that Kyubi has sent us to the past, right?"

"Yup, thirty years." The fox chirped back.

"Would it be possible... I mean, can we change the way things will happen? What will become of me and our own time if I interfere with the past?" Akahana asked with some trepidation.

"You're still here even though your presence has already changed this time line. Don't try to understand things that humans are not meant to understand." Kurou chastised. "Humans will never understand the correlation of space and time like summons and demons do."

"Would it be too selfish to change certain events?"

"Like saving this village? Don't be so arrogant to believe that you could change everything just because you know how things have happened before. But your presence has already changed everything, many events will happen differently now."

"Still, this time around I can fulfill my oath and protect everyone." Akahana said with a hopeful expression. "Last time I was too late... too weak."

"You won, did you not?" Kurou asked back.

"But only after everyone else had perished. I failed my duty to my master and my home. But not this time." Akahana exclaimed with conviction.

"So you will run back to that pathetic man who has raised you? You do know that such an act would only hamper your wish to change the way things have played out last time." By now Kurou had turned towards Akahana and looked at pointedly at her. It was obvious that he was sort of evaluating her with his questions.

"As much as I wish prove myself to be useful to Danzo-sama, I can't deny the fact that the time of my service to him is over. I am no longer the weapon that he has forged me to be. In the two years since his death I have changed..." Akahana closed her eyes for some moments as she forced the memory of her dieing master out of her mind before she continued. "I have to find my own way now. I can no longer expect others to control my every step. Maybe my fate lies here and not with the Leaf for now."

"Finally you acknowledge that fact, Akahana-hime. I was worried that you would still feel as lost as you did after that man's death. Kyubi-sama told me you would eventually snap out of it, but I was skeptic." Kurou stated with a thoughtful tone.

"Your master must expect me to do something that will also benefit him in this time, am I right?" Akahana asked the small fox.

"Who knows. I am not privy to Kyubi-sama's plans. I only follow the orders given to me. The order to keep an eye one you and guide you." Kurou replied.

"You look like a young fox kit, but you are far older than that, are you not?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Kurou said with a smirk that showed his sharp teeth. "But enough talk for now. You need your sleep and I need to catch a pervert." With these words Kurou jumped out of the open window and disappeared into the night.

Akahana only laughed lightly when heard the small fox's words. She already had an idea which pervert would feel the wrath of the fox. The mutual dislike that Kurou and Jiraiya felt for each other was always very amusing. It made her smile; she was happy for that. Before the demon had sent her here she had only very few reasons to smile. Maybe, just maybe the demon had done something good to her. Just this once, she really hoped so. It was a chance, but she would have to fight for her new place in this world. And fighting had always been something that she excelled at.

* * *

After only a few hours of sleep Akahana was woken up rather rudely by a bouncing redhead, that misused her bed as trampoline. Akahana could only groan lightly when she saw that merely four hours had passed since she went to sleep.

"Kushina, just what are you doing in my room?" Akahana groaned.

"Good morning, oneesan." Kushina chirped happily as she resumed bouncing around on Akahana's bed.

"Imouto, what are you doing in my room. How did you get in here in the first place?"

"The window was still open." Kushina replied with a bright grin. "You were really down yesterday so I wanted to see how you are doing today."

Akahana couldn't help but feel happy that someone cared for how she felt. Especially since the person who cared for her was her own mother. Even though her mother currently thought of her as an older sister, but that was a truth that Akahana had decided that she would take with her to her grave. Things were better this way. This was no longer the same Kushina Uzumaki that would later die shortly after giving birth to her daughter. Akahana wasn't even sure if she would even be born in this time line, she had changed the people in this time through her presence. She would have to stop thinking of Kushina as her mother and start considering her as her little sister.

"You really shouldn't worry so much about me. You must be excited about being back home and being able to see your mother again." Akahana replied with a smile.

"Sure... but it is odd. Why do the others in the clan treat you so hostile?"

"Please don't ask that question, Kushina... if you really want to know then ask your mother about it, I am sure that Misaki-san will be better at explaining the situation."

"You have met kaasan?" Kushina asked surprised.

"Yeah, she is one of the few that treat me friendly. But enough about this. I'm sure there is another reason why you have come here. So out with it." Akahana said with fake enthusiasm. She just wanted Kushina to drop the entire subject at the moment.

Another grin spread on Kushina's face, one that actually creeped Akahana out a bit. "You promised that you would teach me some things. The way you have fought against those thugs yesterday was so awesome, I really want to be able to fight like you do."

"That will take years of unrelenting and inhuman training, imouto. Do you really want to endure such a thing?" Akahana asked with a raised eyebrow. "Or are you too afraid of very hard work?"

"Of course I will endure it, 'ttebane. I will become strong and even surpass you one day." Kushina replied flustered.

"Fine, I will teach you some techniques if you are not too scared." Akahana stated with a smile. It was always so easy to smile around Kushina. The easily excitable girl could always cheer her up as it seemed.

"Yes, thank you, thank you. You're the best, oneesan!" Kushina squealed happily. "Oh the others will be so jealous that I have such an awesome sister 'ttebane."

"Just let me get ready for the day then we will look for a suitable place for training." Akahana said, as she finally pushed herself out of her bed. Her mind was made up now. Even if she couldn't stop all bad things from happening, she would at least try to safe as many of her important people as she could. Her sister would be one of those people, she would make sure that her sister was strong enough to survive the night that Kyubi will attack Konoha. She wouldn't let her family die this time.

* * *

Toshiro Uzumaki sat in his office with his guests, as they listened to the report of one of the clan's own healers. This time his guests were the clan elders, as they had convened to discuss the topic that had the entire clan in an uproar, the appearance of yet another bastard child from the main house of the Uzumaki Clan.

The current report they were listening to was directly connected to said child; true to his word Toshiro had his clan healers do another test to determine whether Akahana was really who she claimed to be or whether she was merely an imposter that tried to use the clan for her own schemes.

"As ordered we have conducted a full test of the samples we have taken from Akahana Uzumaki yesterday evening. Since we cannot test her connection to your late son, due to the lack of samples from him, we could only test her relation to your granddaughter Kushina Uzumaki." The healer reported dutifully.

"And? Get on with it, we ain't got all day, boy." One of the elders admonished sternly.

"Of course. All our tests were positive. Akahana Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki are indeed closely related." The healer's exclamation caused deep frowns to appear on the faces of the elders while Toshiro had a rather contemplative look on his own face.

"So she is indeed my granddaughter..." Toshiro mumbled.

"We are not 100% sure, Toshiro-sama. All our tests only showed a relation to Kushina-san, but the result is not what we would typically expect to be a sibling relation..."

"Clarify that. Is she a member of Toshiro-sama's family or not?" One of the elders barked angrily.

"Akahana-san is at least a half Uzumaki. But the results would implicate a mother daughter relation, not that of siblings. But the mere notion is ridiculous. Akahana-san is about five years older then Kushina-san, there is no chance that they could be mother and daughter." The healer elaborated nervously.

"Is there any way to get better results, that would give us undeniable proof about how this girl is related to my family?" Toshiro asked exasperatedly.

"Unfortunately not, Toshiro-sama. The only way to be completely sure would be to test her relation to the suspected father, in this case your late son. But we lack sufficient samples from him to make any tests..." The healer stated with a sigh. "We can only guess what had caused this strange result. Her DNA might have been affected by her mother in some unknown way, a bloodline maybe. People might have experimented on her. There are countless other ways to cause a slight change in her DNA that would yield these results. But all those ways would implicate that Akahana Uzumaki is indeed your granddaughter."

"Thank you for your report. You are dismissed." Toshiro told the healer gruffly. The man looked relieved to finally get out of this office. He merely bowed to Toshiro and the elders before he quickly left the room.

"This is troubling, Toshiro." One of the elders said with an angry look on his face. "This means that both of your sons have brought shame on our clan due to their behavior. Another bastard child... this is outrageous."

"Be silent, old fool. Do not badmouth my dead sons or you will join them in the afterlife." Toshiro warned the disrespectful man with a menacing growl. "Rather think about the implications of this for the clan."

"Yes, yes. Since the girl is not an imposter we can now at least discount the option of having her executed." Another elder said in a bored manner. "But our options with here are now severely limited."

"The girl is apparently one of my own blood, you three better not plan anything harmful for her. Bastard or not, I will not watch idly while you harm one of my grandchildren. Her existence may be unwanted and I would lie if I would say that I trust her, but I will not let you punish her when she is indeed innocent." Toshiro stated loudly.

"Your grandchild she may be, but she is also an outsider. We are at war, our enemies are numerous and we cannot simply trust some random girl, just because her father was your unfaithful son." One of the elders exclaimed sternly. "The best option would be to simply exile her from the clan and this village. This way she cannot do any more damage to any other Uzumaki unless she reveals herself as an enemy and fights us openly."

Toshiro remained silent as he heard that. He disliked the idea greatly. To exile the girl just because she was born to the wrong mother seemed like an awfully hard punishment. And after he heard the things Akahana had told Misaki the day before... he was sure that exile would destroy this girl after all she had apparently suffered through. In the worst case it would push her directly into the waiting arms of their enemies. But he also remembered why they were so cautious towards outsiders. He painfully remembered why this entire situation was so tense in the first place.

"But there might be another possible solution." One of the elders exclaimed suddenly.

"And that would be?"

"It is not yet time to reveal it, Toshiro. First we have to put her loyalty to test. We never even questioned the last bastard before we welcomed him into our clan, we won't repeat that mistake. No, we will keep a close eye on her and see where her loyalties lie. If she is trustworthy enough there might be a way to allow her to remain in this clan and serve this village. Kami knows we need good fighters and from the few tidbits of information we could gather we can assume that she is strong."

"So what do you plan to do with Akahana?" Toshiro asked impatiently.

"Don't you worry about that. You will follow your own duties, we will follow ours. For the good of the clan we will do what we can." The elder said cryptically. "But enough for now, we all have other duties to attend to now, so we will resume this meeting in a few days when we know more about the girl's loyalties." Without being dismissed the three elders stood up and left the office, much to Toshiro's anger. These bickering old men acted without respect towards him, they saw themselves as his equals at best, as his superiors at worst.

"I really need a drink now." Toshiro mumbled before he stood up and left the office as well.

* * *

Akahana looked on in mild interest when she saw where Kushina had lead her. Instead of the usual training grounds she was used to, Kushina had brought her directly to the large river the split the village in two.

"Hm, why exactly are we here, Kushina? I thought you wanted to train?"

"These are the best training grounds in all of Uzushio 'ttebane." Kushina exclaimed excitedly. "Look, these are the seven bridges that connect the civilian and the shinobi part of the village. Between the bridges are six special training grounds that can only be used by those who have mastered water walking. I was told it is awesome for training, to come here since you can train your chakra control at the same time as your other skills."

"And what is the purpose of those nets under each bridge? Trying to catch fish?" Akahana asked with a dubious expression.

"No, silly. There are no fish in this river... at least none that I would know of. The current of the river is extremely strong at some points so in case someone falls in during training, which happens more often than not, the person will be stopped by the nets and be able to climb out of the water." As she explained the purpose of the training ground and all that was part of it Kushina pulled Akahana along towards the rest of the Konoha group. The other Genin watched the two Uzumaki's with mild interest, while most of the Jonin that still were with the group watched Akahana wearily. It was obvious that they were less trustful towards the girl, that was shunned by her own clan, but none of them made any effort to inquire why exactly Akahana was treated that way.

"I believe I should not get too close to the people of your group, Kushina. The Jonin don't look all too happy to see me again." Akahana said cautiously.

"Ah just let them stare. Now please teach me something. Pretty please." Kushina looked at her sister with puppy-dog-eyes, pleading to be taught something cool that would make her a Chunin for sure.

"Alright. Since you can learn Fuinjutsu from your mother, I will help you a bit with your Taijutsu. Come on, we will try some basic Katas to warm up then I will spar against you to determine your current skill level." Akahana said with a thoughtful look.

Akahana watched Kushina's movements silently for some time as she evaluated her sister. She knew the importance of a good Taijutsu style, her mentor had special tutors that had beaten a befitting style into her, until she could defeat each and every one of those teachers. It was hard, it was painful, but it was damn effective. But at the same time it was not the way she wanted to teach Kushina. She was averse to the thought of inflicting pain upon her sister.

"Alright, Kushina. It is obvious just by watching you doing the basic Katas that your style is not as refined as it should be at your age. I don't know why that is the case, especially since your teacher is a Hyuga and should therefore know the importance of a fluent style and mastery of the basics." Kushina pouted when she heard Akahana's criticism, but remained silent and listened on. "Alright, out on the water with you. Now we spar."

Kushina happily obliged with that order and applied Chakra to her feet so she would not sink while she walked out on the water. Akahana followed only moments later. "Alright, imouto, show me what you got. Taijutsu only, but go all out against me."

"Well if you can take it, don't blame me if you get wet 'ttebane." Kushina exclaimed happily before she attacked her sister.

Akahana could dodge Kushina's quick attacks effortlessly, her own speed superior to that of the five year younger Uzumaki. But Kushina showed no signs of getting tired even after several minutes of relentless attacks, something that Akahana could easily attribute to the Kyubi who was currently sealed inside Kushina.

"Your attacks may be strong, Kushina, but you lack in both speed and precision. Your attacks are sometimes a bit sloppy and too predictable. I guess we will have a long way to go to improve your Taijutsu." Akahana said with a smile before she started her own attack. Before Kushina knew what had happened her sister was directly in front of her, feigning an attack on her right shoulder before she sent a kick against the younger girls unprotected left leg. Even though the impact wasn't hard it messed up Kushina's balance, causing her to stagger before she fell into the water and was swept away by the current.

Akahana laughed lightly when she saw Kushina's sour look, once the girl had climbed up the nearby bridge with the help of the net. "Maybe we should train somewhere a little more... dry. At least until you can defend against my attacks a little better. Misaki-san wouldn't appreciate it if her daughter catches a cold due to the freezing water."

Suddenly Akahana had a strange premonition, only in the last moment she was able to block an incoming attack from a new enemy who had sneaked up on her while she concentrated on her sister. She immediately went into a battle ready stance, her hand itching towards the hilt of her sword. She expected another attack, but to her surprise it did not come immediately. Instead she saw her assailant clap as he looked at her with a condescending smile on his lips.

The moment she saw him, Akahana knew immediately, that her attacker was another Uzumaki. The same fiery red hair, though he had it cut rather short in comparison to his peers, and the usual revulsion visible in his eyes that she had only seen from other Uzumakis so far.

"Impressive reaction. I had not expected you to be able to block that particular attack this efficiently." The man said with a tone, that others would only use to speak to young children that misbehaved. "The last one was barely able to hold a Kunai without injuring himself, yet he dealt our clan a devastating blow. I shudder to think what you can do to our clan. Oh no, I will make sure that you will know your place, outsider."

As Akahana looked around she could see that there were already a large number of people watching them from the bridges and the shores, all other people had already fled the training ground fearing the upcoming battle.

"Though I don't even know what exactly the 'last one' has done to you and this clan, I will not sit back and let you attack me just like that. Who do you bastard think you are?" Akahana growled angrily.

"Listen closely, outsider. I will only tell you this once. My name is Arashi Uzumaki and I will protect my clan from any threat inside and out. You will not threaten my people and go unpunished." Arashi exclaimed proudly. Around them people started to cheer loudly for the young man, cries of 'Arashi-sama' and 'show her who's boss' could be heard again and again. Akahana had long ago learned to ignore these kind of comments, but it was still irking her to know that it was her own clan that spited her this time.

"It's getting rather tiresome to listen to people blaming me for things that I have not done. I have never posed a threat to this clan and I will never do that. It only happened in the imagination of you narrow minded people. I don't know what this 'last one' has done, but if you try to punish me for the crimes of another person, then I will show you that I will never bow to injustice. You want a fight, come here and get it." Akahana growled with barely contained anger.

"We will see, outsider, we will see." Arashi replied with a smirk before he charge at her with a Kunai in his hand.

He engaged Akahana quickly in closer combat, slashing at her with great strength and speed. Akahana could only block his initial attacks with her Katana. In her attempts to block and avoid his attacks, she was slowly driven back, something that caused cheers to erupt from the onlookers around them.

His attacks rained in on Akahana, one after another. Slash. Stab. Slash. Sometimes a kick or punch with the free hand. His attacks came fast and unpredictable for the girl. He feigned a low attack with his Kunai which Akahana quickly tried to block only to be hit by a high kick from Arashi that sent her staggering a few feet back.

Akahana quickly refocused on her opponent, just in time to see him flash through the hand signs for a Jutsu. She quickly jumped to the side when she heard him call out his attack. "Suiton: Mizurappa" Moments later a strong gush of water erupted from his mouth in her direction, but it wasn't fast enough to follow her as she avoided the attack.

Akahana wasted no time to retaliate and countered the water Jutsu with her own wind Jutsus. "Futon: Shinkugyoku" This exclamation caused Arashi to react quickly and jump around erratic as she exhaled small blast of wind chakra which impacted on the water like bullets.

"Pah, wind against water. You aren't even a real Uzumaki; not even able to use our clan's affinity to water Jutsus." Arashi exclaimed with a mocking laugh.

"Water like that puny little Jutsu you used? Please, I have seen Academy Students do better than that. That attack was pathetic." Akahana replied with a condescending tone as she looked at Arashi like he was a little kid. "But you ask for water and I shall oblige you. You will regret fighting me." Her tone turned cold as she exclaimed the next Jutsu. "Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu." Quickly a thick fog covered the entire battlefield around them, hiding both opponents from sight.

But Akahana had not counted on the reaction this would cause with the people of Uzushio. She had not thought about the current political situation of the village and the fact that Kirigakure no Sato was one of Uzushio's biggest and most dangerous enemies at this time. Nearly all shinobi that watched the fight immediately recognized the Jutsu that was known as a specialty of Kiri's shinobi. Shouts of people to apprehend her immediately could be heard around them, but no one dared to interfere with the fight at that particular moment.

"I knew that you are an enemy. So you are one of Kiri's hired killers. A hunter-nin of the Mist." Arashi exclaimed loudly so everyone could hear him. "I will personally take you down, before you can do any more harm to my people." His exclamation was met with another round of cheers from the people around them as more and more shinobi surrounded the battlefield, ready to stop the fight and apprehend Akahana should Arashi fail in his task.

"Suiton: Hahonryu" Akahana only heard him yell the name of his attack before the water spiral appeared directly in front of her and hit her left arm. Thankfully the attack was weakened because she was out of the normal range of the Jutsu, but the fact that he had found and hit her even in the mist was a shock to her.

"Don't think you can hide from me in the mist, Kiri scum." Arashi exclaimed mockingly.

On the shore of the river the Konoha group tried to follow the battle with rapt attention, but the mist from Akahana's Jutsu made that impossible to almost all of them except the only Hyuga in their group. He watched the fight with his Byakugan and showed his own surprise when Akahana was hit.

"He managed to find her this quickly despite the mist. That man truly is a dangerous foe." Kushina's sensei exclaimed with an awe filled voice.

"Jiraiya-sensei, how is that possible?" Minato asked curiously.

"That Uzumaki is most likely a sensor type." Jiraiya replied cautiously. Oh he really wished he could see the fight the same way the Hyuga could. "Normally the mist would be filled with Akahana's chakra, making it nearly impossible to sense her position, but since they are fighting on the water, she has one major weakness that unmasks her position."

"The chakra she uses to walk on the water!" Minato exclaimed in realization.

Jiraiya looked proudly at his student, happy that Minato had found the weakness this quickly. "Yes, Minato. That guy only has to aim at the position where the chakra he feels is concentrated and boom he has her position. A terrible weakness in this fight and most likely the reason why she hasn't expected the attack to hit her."

All people around Jiraiya listened attentively to his words, surprised by the conclusions of the Sannin. This fight was a great chance for them to learn more about tactic and combat in general; well it would be a good chance if only they could see it. All Genin quickly looked back towards the mist, hoping that they could catch a glimpse of the fight. All of them were curious, all but Kushina who looked worriedly at the place where her sister was fighting someone of their own clan at the moment. But only Minato caught the look of worry on her face, though he did not comment on it at that moment.

But suddenly they all snapped back to full attention when they heard another exclamation. "Futon: Shinkuha." Jiraiya looked on with shock when he heard Akahana yell out the name of another dangerous and powerful wind Jutsu. Especially when she used the Jutsu several times in quick consecutive attacks it only confirmed his early assumption, that the girl is a enemy he would rather not fight against.

Akahana's wind attacks blew away most of the mist, not that it mattered to her since she cut the chakra flow into that Jutsu because of its apparent uselessness against Arashi. Once the the mist had cleared the two opponents could be seen again.

Both were wounded, Akahana's shoulder looked battered where Arashi's water Jutsu had hit her, but it was the man who looked even more hurt at the moment. Blood was slowly dripping from many cuts on his arms and his face, but he gave away no outward sign that it bothered him in any way. He was still busy glaring at Akahana.

"You are a fool, Arashi. I am no hunter-nin from Kirigakure. I have no affiliations, but I utilize every Jutsu that can safe my life. But of course you narrow minded people love to jump to conclusions. Let's see what you will say about my next Jutsu; what will you accuse me this time I wonder." Akahana spat angrily. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."

The Konoha group looked in shock when they heard that Jutsu and saw the two identical copies of Akahana standing at her sides. The shadow clone Jutsu was after all a Jutsu that originated from Konoha. Only very few outsiders were ever able to copy it.

Akahana herself looked a bit winded after the Jutsu, cursing her sudden lack of power. She still had more chakra then any normal person, but when the Kyubi escaped from the seal, she also lost the nearly endless chakra reserves, that the demon had provided her. She could still create an abnormal number of clones even without the demon, but she knew that her limits where now a risk in all of her fights if she overused the Jutsu like she did in the past. She cursed her new weakness, but she couldn't do anything against it until she had the time to train and return to her former strength without the help of the accursed demon sealed inside her.

"You are powerful, more then I am. I am not too proud to admit that, but I won't back down. I have sworn to protect my clan as it is my duty in my position. I will find a way to defeat you if I must." Arashi exclaimed loudly as he resumed a battle stance.

"Just why are you people so insistent on me being your enemy? I have never been to this village before, I have never even met another Uzumaki before Kushina visited me in my hospital room. Never have I done anything to harm this clan, neither intentionally nor unintentionally. Is this all because of the other bastard that has come before me? What has that guy done to warrant such distrust and hatred towards me?" Akahana asked with a little despair mixed in her voice. She wanted to understand why Arashi saw her as an enemy, she had to know why she was hated by her own clan.

"The last bastard was the illegitimate son of the clan heir... your uncle..." He added begrudgingly. "He was no fighter, just a petty civilian. We all believed that. The clan took him in, trusted him. He was well liked and accepted, but none of us saw the little monster that he truly was. The hatred that he harbored for so long."

"So what has he done? What can one civilian do to create this hatred?"

"He murdered his father and his entire family. The little shit used their trust. They treated him like he was part of their family despite his origin. That monster poisoned them and cut their head off to collect the bounty that Kiri had offered for any member of the leading family of the Uzumaki clan. Without mercy he killed the people who loved him like family. His father, his stepmother, his older half-brother and even his little infant half-sister. All that for his sick wish for revenge and his greed." Arashi spoke with so much hate and revulsion, but Akahana could understand his feelings.

To kill your own family... it was a concept that Akahana would never even dare to consider. A family was after all the thing she craved the most in all her life. Something she never had and that was for ever denied to her as it seemed.

"That bastard believed that his action was a justified act of revenge for the death of his mother. He blamed his father for that woman's death, because he had abandoned her. Blood for blood... such cold blooded thirst for revenge." He shook his head with a look devoid of any emotion. "But the little bastard did not come far. The dead bodies had been found quickly due to sheer luck and the clan members we had send to find him captured him before he could leave the island. For his crimes he was publicly executed the same day."

"And now you distrust me because of the actions of that man?" Akahana asked almost inaudibly.

"We distrust all strangers that claim to be of our clan. We won't repeat our past mistakes. You are even more of a threat then that bastard." Before he had even finished that sentence he already charged at her again. "I will never let another outsider inflict harm upon my clan. I will subdue you. Suiton: Teppodama." Only moments after he had finished speaking he started shooting condensed water balls at Akahana which impacted with great force on the water around her.

But Akahana showed no outward reaction to his attack. Instead of retaliating she dispelled her two clones without using them in the fight much to the confusion of all those who watched the fight. Only moments later the fight ended when Arashi pressed his Kunai to Akahana's throat, not that she had done anything to stop him this time. Around them people started to cheer loudly when they saw Arashi win, but the man himself only scowled.

"You give up? Why?" He asked angrily as their faces were only mere inches apart.

"To prove my point. I am not here to fight or harm this clan. If you wish to stain your hands with the blood of a person that is undoubtedly innocent of the crimes you accuse me of, then go ahead." She said impassively as she gazed at him with a look of pity.

"This is another trick." Arashi said with suspicion visible in face.

"No. I am innocent of any of the things you accuse me of. I have done nothing to harm the Uzumaki Clan or the village of Uzushio. I would rather die, than bring harm upon my own family." Akahana exclaimed loudly so everyone could hear her. "If you have become so fearful of those you don't know, so distrustful of anyone who is not from your village, then kill me. If you people wish to spill the blood of an innocent for the sake of your persecution complex then go ahead, Arashi Uzumaki."

"You..." Arashi was at loss at that very moment. He had no idea what to do with this woman. She was willing to die to prove her point to others, that was something that he had rarely encountered so far.

The Konoha group looked shocked at scene before them. They all were no strangers to death and the idea of dieing to fulfill a mission. But to watch someone ask for death so bluntly... it was awe inspiring to see her resolve, but also fearsome to see her callous disregard of her own life.

"Pah, as if that man could kill her." Came the exclamation from a small fox who had suddenly appeared next to the group.

"Kurou!" Kushina exclaimed as she hurried to the fox and picked him up. "What are you talking about?"

"Akahana-hime was holding back. There is no chance for him to kill her; even if he tried now he would undoubtedly fail. She still has too much to live for, to allow herself to die here. She would have never allowed this scene to happen, if she expected to be in any real danger." The fox spoke smugly.

"I think you overestimate her strength." Kushina's sensei said with a frown. "It was obvious that they were evenly matched, but now her life is in his hands."

"All seeing eyes my ass. Even with your Byakugan you could not see the truth behind the charade." Kurou growled.

"A shinobi's foremost skill is deception." Jiraiya stated absent minded as he still watched Akahana and Arashi who now sported a rather uncertain look on his face.

"Damn right, toad human." Kurou exclaimed before he sniffed around. "Something here reeks like a wet dog." At this exclamation everyone turned to look at the puppy that sat next to his owner, one Tsume Inuzuka. "No, not the dog..." Kurou said with certainty as he looked at Tsume.

Inoichi, who stood near Tsume was the first to react as he leaned closer to her and sniffed at her to see if Kurou meant her. But the Inuzuka woman was not amused by that action and punched Inoichi hard enough on the head to knock him out. "Just what do you think you are doing, you stupid idiot." Tsume exclaimed in indignation.

"Troublesome woman." Shikaku Nara said in a bored manner before he dragged the unconscious Inoichi to a safe distance away from the angry Inuzuka. Some of the other persons around them laughed lightly before their attention snapped back to the scene on the water as another person interfered with the situation.

* * *

"Stop this madness this instant. By orders of the Uzukage this fight has to stop now or else all those who disobey his orders will be punished severely." A middle aged man in a dark blue robe exclaimed, as he walked towards the Akahana and Arashi.

Arashi glared at the man for a moment before he finally put his Kunai away and started to leave. This fight had given him a lot to think about. And of course there were others who needed to be informed of what had happened here. This Akahana Uzumaki was not as easily predictable as they had anticipated at first.

The new man stopped in front of Akahana, a hand ruffling through his unruly black hair as he let out a frustrated sigh. "All this fighting and violence... as if we don't already have enough enemies outside of the village." He paused for a moment before he looked at Akahana with a pleasant expression. "My name is Akihiro Mizushima, I am the assistant of the Nidaime Uzukage."

Akahana looked a bit dubious at the man. There were not many that treated her normal in this village, so she was cautious of all those who did. In her mind all those who treated her normal despite what the other people think, must have some sort of hidden agenda.

"Akahana Uzumaki." She replied tensely.

"Good, good. My boss wishes to see you. Please follow me, no need to let the Uzukage wait." He said with a smirk.

The walk to the main government building in the village was rather short and spent mostly in silence. Akahana wondered what exactly the village leader could want from her. Her trouble was a clan issue and if there was one thing that all hidden villages had in common then it was the unwritten rule that a Kage does not interfere in clan affairs.

Even once they had entered the Uzukage's office, all three occupants remained eerily quiet. It was unnerving for Akahana as she could feel that both the Uzukage and his assistant scrutinized her closely for several minutes, before one of them finally ended the silence.

"You sure have caused quite a stir with your sudden arrival, Akahana-san. " The Uzukage said with a light chuckle. His voice was deep, seemingly unfit for his small stature. His white Kage robes were practically hanging off him, his hat hanging deep into his face, hiding everything but the man's lips.

"None of this commotion was intentional, Uzukage-sama."

"Oh I am sure of that. I have not called you here to scold you or punish you in any way or form. Quite the contrary." Akahana narrowed her eyes when she heard his words, something was not right here, she could feel it. "As you might know this village is currently fighting a bloody war against several enemies. Our old blood feud with Kirigakure no Sato has caused us nearly thirty years of uninterrupted war and bloodshed. And now that even Kumo has joined the fight against us things look rather grim. I have no illusions that we will win this easily. The fights will be hard and long. We will need every ally we can get so Uzushio can survive this."

"And how does that involve me?" Akahana asked with a raised eyebrow. She could already see where this might lead, but she wanted to hear it from the Kage.

"You are undoubtedly an Uzumaki. A powerful one at that. I am not as blinded by distrust and hatred as your clan to deny that fact. I had also been informed that despite their treatment you still wish to protect your family."

"That is correct." Akahana stated curtly.

"Excellent. Your clan may be unwilling to let you help them, but I cannot let any opportunity to get more help in our fight for survival pass. Therefore I offer you a position in Uzushio's shinobi forces as a Jonin of Whirlpool. This way you can protect your clan, even if they don't want it." The Kage said with an almost gleeful smirk on his lips.

"A interesting offer. I can see why you ask me to join your village, but I doubt that you would trust me this easily. This could also get you into trouble with the Uzumaki Clan. Is my help really worth the hassle?"

"As I said, we need every help we can get. I can deal with Toshiro's tantrums, so no worry there. But you are right, there is no trust... yet. So you would have to swear an oath and you would be under watch for at least a year."

"I..." Akahana started but she was interrupted by a knock on the door of the Uzukage's office.

"Enter." The Kage said tersely. Another smirk crossed his lips when he saw the person who entered. "Ah, Misaki-san. How can we help you today?"

"Uzukage-dono, I have not come for you today. I am here for my stepdaughter. She has been summoned by the clan council, so her return to the compound is necessary. As you know such a summoning does not allow for any delay." Misaki said tensely.

"Ah, of course. We were finished here anyways. You may take her with you now." The Kage said with his almost constant smirk. But Akahana did not wish to ponder this any longer then necessary so she stood up and walked over to Misaki. "Ah and Akahana-san, please consider my offer."

"I will think about it, Uzukage-sama. Good bye for now." She said with small bow before she followed Misaki out of the office. But neither of the two redheaded women saw the smirk on Akihiro's face at that moment. Neither did they know the plans of the man that would involve Akahana.

* * *

The clan council of the Uzumaki Clan was a rather small of group of individuals. At the time Akahana had first come to Uzushio there were only three members; old and honored members of the clan who had contributed greatly to the clans rise and power. Next to the clan leader they were the highest institution of power in the clan. Everyone listened to their guidance and followed their orders.

And even though Toshiro Uzumaki would never admit it, the current council was his equal in power and influence. The only reason for that, was his lack of heirs. Nearly all of his family were dead, with the exception of his two granddaughters and his daughter-in-law. Because of that the council had decided on a new heir, the most promising young man they could find in the clan. They decided the next ruler of the clan and that finally gave them more power than Toshiro. A power that they were willing to use, even in this situation when the fate of one of his grandchildren was to be decided by them.

The three elders started to whisper furiously amongst each other as they saw Akahana enter the room in the company of Misaki. The older Uzumaki woman had a hand on Akahana's shoulder as a sign of support. The elders had heard that Misaki was on the side of her husbands illegitimate child, but they had not really believed it until they saw them enter together.

"So you have finally found her. Where has she been after the fight?" Toshiro asked gruffly.

"In a meeting with the Uzukage." Misaki answered quickly.

Toshiro looked very displeased when he heard that. "What did that man want from you?" He asked Akahana with a look that promised trouble should she not comply.

"He offered me a place as kunoichi of Uzushio if I would swear an oath to prove my loyalty." Akahana replied with a bored tone.

The elders once more started to whisper amongst each other; looking at Akahana every now and then while they ignored the other people in the room.

"What was your answer?" Toshiro asked.

"I have not given him an answer yet. I am still contemplating my options for the future once you have kicked me out of this clan for something that I have not even done." She said scathingly.

"Akahana Uzumaki, you already know why you are here so we will not waste time with that." One of the elders spoke with an authoritative voice.

"So when will I have to leave?" Akahana asked with a dark look on her face.

"You have two options now. Number one, you will be exiled from the clan and banished from Uzushio. You will no longer be allowed to use the Uzumaki name and all your connections to this clan will be cut." The elder said dismissively.

"And the other option?" Akahana asked though she had little hope that she would get a real chance to remain a Uzumaki and be able to help others.

"We have to remind you here that initially we only considered exile for you, but with certain revelations we have come to the decision to give you a second option. You will be allowed to remain a member of this clan and your family." At this Akahana actually looked almost hopeful that she might be given a fair chance to prove herself to her clan and save her family. "But that will be tied to several conditions. Firstly you will accept the Uzukage's offer and become a kunoichi of Uzushio. Secondly you will prove your loyalty to the clan." The elder stopped after the second condition, as he looked at the other people in the room.

Akahana looked at the elders with a look of anticipation, waiting for what's to come now. Toshiro looked rather peeved at the three elders, obviously displeased with both options these men would give Akahana to consider. Misaki's gaze wandered between Akahana and the elders worriedly. Though she did not know what exactly these men had planned, she knew that it would not be easy for the girl.

"And the final condition for you to remain an Uzumaki would be to agree to a betrothal to the chosen heir of the clan. We have proof that you are a member of Toshiro's direct family so a marriage between you and the heir would undoubtedly justify our candidate's claim to the leadership of the clan. The marriage itself would not happen until you have sufficiently proven your loyalty to our clan and the village." The elder finally said with a determined look on his face. It was obvious that the elders would prefer for her to take the second option and give their candidate a legitimate claim to the leadership of the clan. "You have three days time to decide, any questions?"

"No... your motives are obvious." Akahana said with a sigh.

"Then you are dismissed. We await your decision." The elder said in dismissal, no longer giving the girl any attention as he returned to whispering with the other two men on the council.


	8. Whirlpool IV

**Whirlpool Part IV**

Akahana was silent and closed off, as she left the meeting with the clan elders. She had already expected, that they would either kick her out or try to use her in some way, but the actual proposition was a complete shock to her.

She could understand it from the political standpoint, her mentor had made sure that she would completely understand politics and how to use political games to further her goals. He had taken her to most council meetings for that purpose... well for that and for the fact that he liked to show off that he fully controlled the village's greatest weapon.

But now she was faced with a situation that had never occurred to her before. She was supposed to marry the chosen clan heir, to legitimate his claim to the leadership over the clan... to her the mere idea was absurd. No one would have ever considered her a candidate for marriage. In the past she was nothing but a tool, a weapon to the shinobi of her village and a shunned outcast to the civilians. And even in this time line she was a outcast to her own clan, the other members would never accept her as the wife of their clan leader.

She sighed as she tried to understand what those elders were planning for her. She couldn't help but feel like a pawn in a greater scheme... just like it was in her past...

But what should she decide? Should she leave her clan and with it a part of her identity behind? The fact that she is an Uzumaki had always been the only distinction she had, that made her more then a nameless orphan. As a child she had clung to the knowledge that she originated from a formerly great clan, it made her different from the nameless weapon she was supposed to be, to her it made her human.

She had striven to learn more about her heritage and live up to the Uzumaki legacy. It had made her stronger, it made her a person. Her mentor had not dared to take that away from her out of fear for her sanity. Everyone needed to be something, to be part of something. He even encouraged her to become a kunoichi that the Uzumaki clan would have been proud of. It was her identity, hers alone and she would have never let anyone take it from her.

But now things were different. Based on her decision she could loose this part of her identity. Though she was no longer the weak and frightened child that needed something to cling to, she was still feeling the dread at the mere thought that she could loose this part of herself. Would she be a lesser person as just Akahana? But the other option was not really all that better. Marrying someone she did not even know for political reasons... becoming the pawn of another council... Was being an Uzumaki worth it? To sacrifice her new found freedom? To serve a foreign village? Currently she had no real answer to the questions. And three days was a rather short time to make such a life changing decision. No matter the choice, her life would never be the same again.

It took her a moment to realize that someone had followed her out of the room as her thoughts were occupied with what she should do now. Only when Misaki placed a hand on Akahana's shoulder the younger Uzumaki showed a reaction.

"Oh, Misaki-san, is there something else you need me for right now?" Akahana asked with a tired voice.

Misaki smiled encouragingly at the girl she believed to be her stepdaughter before she spoke. "No, not really. I wanted to ask if you would need some help. I know that this day and especially this meeting must have been taxing for you. Just remember, I am here if you need someone. No matter if you need help or just someone to talk to." She said truthfully.

"Thank you... I really appreciate it." And she really did. Akahana was happy that this woman, her own grandmother no less, was kind to her and supported her. Misaki and Kushina, her closest relatives from the Uzumaki clan were on her side and treated her like a true family member. Akahana couldn't describe the feeling, but she knew that she never felt quite like this before. But should she choose to leave the clan behind... she would also alienate her own family this way.

"Why don't you come with me and join your family for dinner today? I am sure that Kushina would be ecstatic." Misaki said with another bright smile.

"I really don't want to burden you, Misaki-san. Others in the clan might dislike the idea to have me overstay my welcome in the clan compound." Akahana said cautiously. Even now she could feel the gaze over every single Uzumaki they passed on her back. They watched her carefully, never letting her get out of sight in case she would try something. All Uzumaki were weary of her, even more so after her fight against Arashi earlier this day.

"Nonsense. They will either accept my judgment or they will learn that it unwise to upset a member of the leading family of this clan." Misaki said with an almost malicious grin. "Come, I really want you to. But I must warn you, today we will eat Ramen; I had promised Kushina to make her favorite food on the last evening before the Chunin exam starts. I hope you don't mind that."

Akahana perked up when she heard the word Ramen. This food was one of her few true passions, something that not even her mentor could break her of. She couldn't help but smile at the knowledge that she shared this with Kushina.

"If you really believe that it is okay, then I will be happy to join you for dinner today." Akahana replied readily after some moments.

* * *

In another part of Uzushio Akihiro sat in his own office, sipping Sake leisurely, as he contemplated his plans for the coming days. Finally, after so many years his seemingly never ending mission would be over and he could leave this dieing village. Had he known how long this mission would take, he would have never accepted to do it. Too much time wasted just to subvert one puny little village that was not even a real threat to his home, these foolish people here never stood a chance. But finally it would be all over. He would return home and Uzushio would fall into chaos. The village would die in a matter of months instead of years.

He scowled when a knock on his door interrupted the quiet atmosphere in the room. He was in no mood to entertain anymore guests; playing the goodhearted and friendly assistant for the sake of fooling that damn Uzumaki girl had cost him all of the patience he could offer for one day. Whatever poor slob was interrupting him now better had a good excuse.

As the door opened a small man with gaunt face and a frightened look entered the office quietly. "Ah, it's you. Has everything gone according to plan, Ishikawa."

"Yes, Mizushima-sama. The prisoner had unfortunately been placed on the execution list due a … misunderstanding. He won't tell anything to anyone." Ishikawa said with a weak voice.

"Excellent. With the Chunin exams starting tomorrow most of the shinobi inside the village will be distracted. And with all Uzumaki keeping a distrustful eye on that bastard child we can move without many interferences. Everything will go according to plan." Akihiro said with a feral grin.

"But... but our men already failed to take the girl away from the island once... maybe we should pick another one... surely they will guard the little girl more closely now." Ishikawa said hesitantly.

"Foolish idiot, as if they care for one orphan. The girl's only guardian will be too busy the next few days, no one will be there to help that runt. Our Kage has already chosen her, so we will get her, end of story." Akihiro said with annoyance. "Just make sure that no one gets in our way and that all people will draw the right conclusions about the 'perpetrator'. "

"Of course... I will take my leave then." Ishikawa said with a slight bow before he quickly walked out of the office.

"Fearsome fool. I would be surprised should he manage to get out of this entire mess unscathed. Maybe it is even better that way..." Akihiro mumbled with a greedy grin. Soon, very soon he would be a hero of his home village, a very rich hero to boot.

* * *

Dinner with Misaki and Kushina was a rather joyous affair for Akahana. Kushina was beyond happy that her sister had decided to join them for the evening and Akahana was just glad to be around her family for at least once in her life. Much to Akahana's surprise little Honoka was also with them since Misaki was the guardian of the six year old girl, even though it was only unofficial since all Uzumaki orphans are considered wards of the entire clan and all members have a duty to help the youngest offsprings.

It was a wonderful evening for Akahana, especially since no one talked about the earlier meeting with the clan council. Misaki knew that Akahana would need some time to think about her options so she did not trouble the girl with her own opinion unless Akahana would ask her. Kushina and Honoka did not even know about Akahana's meetings with the clan council and Akahana had decided to keep it to herself until she had decided her future.

But the entire situation caused Akahana to have another sleepless night. The whole night the decision she would have to make and the consequences of both options occupied her mind, keeping her from finding rest. When she finally gave in to exhaustion and fell asleep it were only a few hours until the sun had risen again and interrupted her sleep.

She was grumpy and still feeling worn out when she stood up again to start her third day in Uzushio. It would be a rather interesting day; the first day of the Chunin exams both her parents would participate in. She wondered how this village would test the capabilities of the young Genin. The village was in a constant state of war so she was certain that the tests would be much more martial then the exams that had taken place in her own time line.

Still weary she decided to take a walk around the village, something that she had not managed to do since she had arrived. From the very first moment she had set foot into this village other people had dictated her every movement. No matter where she went, there was always someone coming to take her away for some reason. So being able to walk around undisturbed for once was quite relieving to the young Uzumaki woman.

"Ah, Akahana-san. What a surprise to see you walking around this early in the morning." Akahana quickly spun around, cursing that just when she thought she could be alone for a while someone had to come and find her. But at least it was not another Uzumaki that would scoff at her, but Jiraiya who watched her curiously.

"Oh, Jiraiya-san. I did not see you there, good morning to you." Akahana said with only slight annoyance. "Shouldn't you be with your students at this time? It is a big day for them after all."

Jiraiya looked a bit sheepish when he heard her; one hand rubbing the back of his head as he answered. "Nah, they are already with the examiners. They should get their instructions right now before they set out to fulfill their task." For a moment he looked in the direction of the Uzushio shinobi academy, the place where his students where currently at. "Would you mind if I join you on your walk? I would really appreciate some distraction from thinking about the three kids."

Akahana looked wistfully when she heard that. It was obvious that he really was worried about his student's well being, something that was not a given with most Jonin. Some only reluctantly take a Genin team because they have to and are rather annoyed by the children they have to teach. Others only see their Genin as tools for their missions, caring little about the children's well being as long as the Genin fulfill their missions sufficiently. Of course she had never seen Jiraiya as a man who would use his students, she had traveled long enough with the man to know that. But she also remembered his perverted tendencies and his countless attempts to coerce her to aid him with his so called research.

"I won't mind. I was just about to take a look around this village. I've never been here before and I'm quite curious." Not to mention that she hoped that it would distract her for some time so she wouldn't have to constantly ponder the decision she has to make.

Jiraiya gladly followed the enigmatic Uzumaki girl as she walked down the long streets of the village as they explored the lively place. Well Akahana was the one who explored, Jiraiya had been in Uzushio before and often offered comments about places he remembered from his last visit many years ago.

"You sure sound like you have seen a lot of paces, Jiraiya-san." Akahana commented idly after Jiraiya had told her about his latest trip to a village near Iwa.

"You see a lot, especially during a world war you tend to travel to many different places on missions." The Sannin said gruffly. "Just look at me, I am merely 26 and I have already fought in nearly every country on this continent..." He shook his head somewhat sadly as he said that. "I suppose you can relate to that, after all you said that you have fought your entire life... and that without any permanent affiliation with a village."

Not really thinking about her words Akahana spluttered out, "You could say that. I have seen more countries than I ever wanted to see... and fought with or against most hidden villages..."

"Is that so... which villages have you fought with?" Jiraiya asked curiously. He was very interested in any information this girl would give him about herself. Ever since he had found her she had been nothing but one walking enigma to him.

"Kumo, Kusa, Taki, Suna, Iwa... and against most of them, too. I've spent over a year of my life fighting against Kiri together with a group of rebels. Everything to protect my home..." After that she finally realized what she was actually telling the man as she snapped out of her memories of the past.

"And which home would that be?" Jiraiya asked innocently, hoping that she would divulge that information as well.

"I've already said too much about this topic, Jiraiya-san." She started to walk away from him faster as if she tried to get away from him, but he could easily keep up with her. He was still far too curious to let her go now. But any further attempts to broach this topic was foiled when suddenly several young shinobi ran past them in what seemed to a mad hunt for something.

"Is this..." Akahana gestured towards the shinobi, "... part of the Chunin exam, Jiraiya-san?"

"Yeah. The first part is about finding a hidden place within the village. Gathering information, following trails and once they find the place to infiltrate it and take something from there without getting caught by the examiners."

"So it is a glorified scavenger hunt." Akahana deadpanned. She felt kind of disappointed, she had expected more from this village. Though she had never participated in any such exams herself, she still knew the standard procedures of some of the villages. But the way Uzushio handled these exams was kind of uninspired in her opinion.

"Well, it is the best they can do while they are at war. They won't have this event outside of the villages walls, the chance of enemy interference is far too high. We are the living proof that the land surrounding Uzushio is not as safe as it should be. So they have to do something that can be done inside the walls of the village." Jiraiya defended the exam lightly.

* * *

Meanwhile one little Uzumaki child was wandering around the village as well. Driven by her never ending curiosity young Honoka Uzumaki explored every corner of the village to her hearts content. Despite all that had happened to Honoka in the last few days she would not stay put, boredom quickly tempted her to go out and find something fun.

And especially today walking around the streets of Uzushio was especially exciting to her. The Genin that participated in the exam were rushing around, creating quite a commotion everywhere in the village, much to young Honoka's amusement. And when more and more people left their houses in the morning to get their work done the streets quickly became crowded, something that caused great chaos with the Genin rushing around everywhere.

It was during this chaos that a man followed the child quietly through the streets, waiting for a chance to snatch her without being seen. The Chunin exams were the perfect cover for this attempt. Everyone was watching the Chunin hopefuls, no one would care for one little girl, when they would realize that she was missing the girl would already be on the continent, far away from any Uzushio shinobi that could help her. Unlike most other Uzumaki children, orphan or not, Honoka made it rather easy for anyone to capture her. The other children rarely left the Uzumaki compound and even then they would always be accompanied by adults to watch over them. Only little Honoka wandered off without anyone to watch her.

A sickening smirk appeared on the mans lips when he watched the child enter a less crowded alley, away from the prying eyes of other people. Yes, now was the chance he had been waiting for. He sped his steps up as he followed Honoka into the alley, ready to capture the young girl. He was so close to fulfilling his mission. Only moments and he could finally leave Uzushio behind with his master.

But what neither the man, nor Honoka knew was that the little girl had been seen by another Uzumaki and her current companion. Akahana couldn't help but let out an annoyed sigh when she saw Honoka enter a rather dingy alley, all alone on top of that.

"Oh that girl is far too curious for her own good. Just why does she never listen to Misaki-san?" Akahana said curtly before she hurried after the girl. "I'm sorry, Jiraiya-san, but I should better catch up to the little one and make sure that she returns to the compound. Misaki-san will be worried as soon as she finds out that Honoka has disappeared again."

Jiraiya followed Akahana wordlessly. He recognized the young Uzumaki girl from the incident a few days ago when they had saved her from those thugs outside of Uzushio. And judging by what he had heard from Misaki and Akahana it seemed to be a common occurrence for the girl to disappear from the safe confines of the Uzumaki clan compound.

Akahana had just entered the alley, ready to catch up to the small girl when she saw something that made her gasp. She had expected to see the redheaded midget ambling down the alley, but instead she saw a man wearing a black cloak carry a seemingly unconscious Honoka in his arms.

"Honoka! Let her down this instant or else I will force you to do it, bastard!" Akahana exclaimed as she started sprinting towards the man. He turned around, mumbling something that Akahana could not understand, but the voice was definitely male. But his face could not be seen since he had the hood of the cloak drawn deep into his face to hide his features.

Another unintelligible snarl could be heard from the man before he jumped away, using the balconies of the nearby buildings to quickly jump up to the roofs of the village in the hopes to escape that way.

"Akahana-san? What the heck is going on?" Jiraiya asked as he jumped after her to the roofs of the buildings around them.

"That bastard has taken Honoka! Don't let him escape!" Akahana yelled loudly, hoping that more shinobi would hear her and stop the cloaked man. But so far no one but her and Jiraiya had started to follow the man.

They quickly hunted the man across the roofs as he fled towards the walls of the village to escape from Uzushio with his young hostage. The man gave no sign that he would slow down any time soon so they would have to force him to stop.

"Katon: Endan." Following the loud exclamation Jiraiya shot a large fireball at the escaping man, missing him by mere inches.

"Idiot, that bastard still has Honoka, do you want to kill her?" Akahana yelled in anger. "Aim for the roofs, stop his movements." In her anger she started attacking herself. "Futon: Renkudan." Moments later a large blast of air impacted a few feet in front of the running man, showering him in splinters from the destroyed roofs. But that only had slowed him down for a mere second before he continued running.

And thus they followed the man, shooting attacks at him to stop his escape. But no matter what they did it had little to no effect except causing damage to nearly every house they had passed so far. But Akahana cared little about the collateral damage. The houses could be repaired, but she would not allow that man to escape with the small Uzumaki girl.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." Akahana's Jutsu created two exact copies of herself which ran alongside her before she gave them a command, causing them to jump down from the roofs and disappear on the crowded roads of the village.

* * *

Arashi Uzumaki had a really bad day. It started with the realization that he felt rather sore from the fight on the day before; it continued with him missing breakfast because he wasted his time grumbling about a troublesome redheaded girl. To make things even worse he was summoned by the clan council not long after that to explain himself for his actions the day before. To sum it up he had a really bad day and he had a feeling that it would turn from bad to to completely messed up in a matter of hours. Especially with some of the announcements the council had promised to make soon. He hated it when the old men kept secrets from him, but no matter what he tried, they would not budge. He would be informed shortly before the rest of the clan would get these apparently important news.

He walked around the village in a futile attempt to clear his head. But he could not escape the incoming headache. He yelled some obscenities as some random Genin bumped into him and continued running without as much as a sorry or even a sign that he realized the collision. Arashi looked up, silently asking Kami why his day sucked this much.

He couldn't help but curse Kami when he saw two figures hunting another dark shadow across the roofs not far from him; shooting Jutsus at the fleeing person without any care how much damage they caused. "Kami-sama, why do you hate me this much?" He yelled out in frustration, causing many people around him to look at him as if he had sprouted another head.

His shoulders sagged in resignation when he knew that he couldn't ignore this. He would have to stop this fight, it was his duty. Maybe some overeager Genin were just fooling around or something like that. It was an annoyance and he would make sure to beat some sense into the skulls of all three persons on the roofs. But first he would have to intercept them. Luckily for him they were coming directly in his direction.

With a few jumps he was on a balcony directly underneath the roofs; he waited for his chance as he could feel three Chakra sources approach him quickly... but something was odd, the one closest to him felt more like two different Chakra signatures, but he had only seen one person. But it didn't matter, he would end this madness here and now.

The moment he felt one of the persons near his position he jumped out of his hiding spot to intercept. But Arashi was surprised when he saw that the person he had intercepted was not some random Genin, but a man in a black cloak with his hood up. Arashi narrowed his eyes in anger when he saw the unconscious girl in the man's arms.

"Who the heck are you? Unhand this girl this instant!" Arashi growled angrily. When the man had taken a step back Arashi could see the face of the girl and immediately recognized his clan's little troublemaker.

But the cloaked man had no intention to give up yet, instead he got ready to bolt into another direction. However his plans to escape were immediately foiled when they heard three identical voices yell out the same Jutsu. "Suiton: Juben."

Arashi looked around when he suddenly saw three easily recognizable redheads standing around the cloaked man, water whips wrapped around the man, trapping him in place. Then Arashi saw one of the Konoha shinobi standing next to one of the Akahanas, both looking slightly winded after hunting this man across half of the village.

"Arashi-teme. Don't just stand there, save Honoka, I can't keep that bastard trapped for ever." Akahana exclaimed with fiery passion in her voice.

Arashi let the teme comment slide for now, he knew that it was important to save Honoka first; personal problems would have to be solved later. He cautiously approached the trapped man and took Honoka out of his arms. Oddly as it seemed the man made no move to stop Arashi. The moment he had Honoka Arashi jumped away from the man to a safe distance.

Meanwhile Jiraiya stepped closer and grabbed the man's hood to pull it down. "Let's see who our little guest is." He said with a smirk as he pulled the hood down. But much to everyone's annoyance it only revealed the man's close-cropped hair and a blank black mask that hid his face and had only one hole for one of his eyes. "Hiding your face won't help you now."

The man muttered something unintelligible, causing Jiraiya to frown. "What was that? Learn to speak clearly or else we will have to force you to." He said with narrowed eyes as he moved on to take off the mask the man spoke more clearly.

"Doton: Ganchuso." All others around the man looked in shock when they heard the name of his Jutsu and had barely enough time to jump out of harms way as rock pillars protruded from the roof. Arashi, Jiraiya and Akahana could narrowly escape the pillars, Akahana's clones though were skewered by the sudden attack, setting the man free in the process since no one was left to keep up the water whips that bound him.

Akahana quickly created two new clones and sent them towards Arashi while she and Jiraiya circled around the man to stop any further attacks from him.

"Arashi, give Honoka to us, we will bring her back to the compound where she will be safe and we will bring help as fast as we can." One of the clones spoke evenly.

"Fine, hurry though. I've got a feeling that this enemy is not as easily beaten as we might believe." Arashi said as he handed Honoka to one of the clones. The two copies of Akahana merely nodded in accordance before they quickly left the scene to bring the unconscious youngster to safety.

"Don't believe that this means anything. This village will fall and your clan will no longer stand in my way. You only delay the inevitable." The masked man said with a dark chuckle. His voice sounded cold, devoid of any feeling.

"Neither will you get this girl, nor will you bring down this village!" Arashi exclaimed hotly.

Now the man laughed outright; a terribly twisted sound that reminded Akahana far too much of the abominations she had to fight in her past. Men who had gained power through experimenting on innocents, men who had twisted life itself to gain an advantage... to achieve immortality.

"Try and defeat me, it won't mean anything. I am merely a harbinger of your doom. Uzushio will fall."

Arashi was about to charge against the man, Jiraiya as well for matter, but they stopped immediately when they heard Akahana speak up loudly. "Arashi, Jiraiya, cut if off. The bastard isn't even here anymore." Both men looked questioningly at her, to them their enemy stood right before them. The man though... only continued laughing madly.

"So the little vixen has figured it out. It doesn't matter, even one competent kunoichi cannot avert the inevitable. Once I am done there won't even be stories about your village left. I will erase Uzushio's existence from this world entirely."

"You fear this village's power. You fear that they would be able to foil your plans, that is why you have come here. Isn't that the reason for your visit, Tobi?" Akahana asked with a pointed glare.

"Oh, so you have figured me out. I wonder where you know my current name from, though. It seems that I have underestimated this village; I had not expected to find someone... interesting." Even though he still had his mask on, she was sure he was smirking at her. The same sickening arrogant smirk she had seen on his face when she had ripped his mask off during their last fight. "I've played enough with you fools. But you, little girl, we will meet again. That is a promise." The moment he finished speaking he started making hand signs, but he never finished his Jutsu.

"Futon: Kazekire no Jutsu." Akahana said emotionless. Seconds later the wind blade cut through the man's neck, severing the head from the body. But instead of blood flowing out of the gaping wound the entire body of the man became a sickly brown color before it completely dissolved into mud.

"A clone? We have been fighting a clone?" Arashi asked in disbelieve.

"Tobi substituted his clone with his little pawn sometime during our chase. He is messing with us, the sick bastard enjoys doing that." Akahana said with distaste.

"You know this man? I remember you said something about fighting a Tobi guy when you were still in hospital." Jiraiya said with a contemplative expression.

"Yes, I know some things about him. But it isn't really much. Let's just say that his delusive plan is to control the entire world. He craves power for himself and abhors any power in the hands of other people."

"Just what in Kami's name is that guy doing here?" Arashi asked, still looking pissed about the entire situation.

"Isn't it obvious? Part of the power he wants is the strength and vitality of the Uzumaki blood. He wants a child to experiment on to get these traits for himself... living specimen are always much more valuable. As for the village, Uzushio is too powerful. He will stop at nothing to see this village destroyed and all of its inhabitants killed or captured for experiments."

Akahana's words shocked both men. The mere thought that someone like that was running around unchecked... the implications of this... Jiraiya would have to inform his sensei about this asap.

"You said he was dead! You said you had beaten him in the past, that fighting him was the reason for the injuries you had when we found you." Jiraiya stated with wide eyes.

"True... I thought he was dead. But apparently I was wrong." Of course she knew that this was not the same Tobi she had defeated in her own time line. This was a younger and most likely even less predictable version of the dangerous man. She couldn't even be sure if he had already started the plans she foiled in her own time. He might very well follow some completely different path to achieve his ultimate goal now.

"Then find him and kill him before he can destroy this village." Arashi commanded with a dangerous growl.

"I can't. My last fight against him left me weakened. I have lost much of my power in that fight. It will take years of training to regain it. I am not even sure if it is possible to fully regain my strength at all." Akahana exclaimed with a small frown. She would have never believed that she would actually miss being a Jinchuriki. But now she missed the power the fox demon had given her, now she would need it once more to protect everyone from Tobi.

"He is till in Uzushio! We have to gather the strongest shinobi in the village and hunt him down." Arashi said quickly. "Not even this man can withstand the combined power of Uzushio's strongest."

"Fool." Akahana stated with a shake of her head.

"What was that? Do you doubt the power of this village?" Arashi demanded tersely.

"I doubt that he will still be here. His pawns are here, but he will be gone before you have gathered a single person to hunt him. He never stays long after revealing himself." Akahana replied curtly. "We need to unmask his pawns and stop his influence here. Else he will win and Uzushio will fall."

Akahana knew that it was important to find Tobi's servants. He had always used others for his plans and even though they would only know about the parts of the plan that he expected them to fulfill it would help her tremendously to figure out what Tobi was doing at the moment. To find Tobi here was either extreme misfortune or a lucky occurrence for her. At least she would not have to hunt him with no idea where to start now. This time she knew where to start, she would get stronger, she would hunt him and she would destroy him before he would bring misery upon this world again. That was her duty.

Only moments later a large number of shinobi arrived at the scene lead by Toshiro Uzumaki himself. Oh how Akahana already dreaded the upcoming interrogation about her past encounters with Tobi. Nearly every time she had clashed with her nemesis she had lost someone who was important to her. This time... no one had died... yet. No, she wouldn't allow anyone to die. The only really close person she had this time was Kushina, but her mo... sister had no part in this entire mess she was in. But how should she explain all this to Toshiro?

* * *

Hours of ceaseless questioning later, Akahana sat once more in the house that Misaki, Honoka and Kushina lived in. Once more she tried to sort out the mess that was her thoughts. She silently cursed the Kyubi, the demon must have known how complicated this entire situation would become after her arrival.

"Why can't my life be simple for just a few days of my life?" Akahana sighed wearily.

"Life would be boring if everything would be easy." Came the somewhat teasing reply from Misaki as she reentered the room with a tray filled with cups and a tea kettle. She set the tray down and passed Akahana a cup filled with hot tea.

"Thank you, Misaki-san." Akahana said gratefully before she took a sip of the tea. She didn't know the flavor, but it was wonderfully calming for her troubled mind at the moment. She closed her eyes for some moments and just let the calming warm feeling from the tea envelope her.

Misaki smiled wistfully at her stepdaughter. Nothing seemed to be easy whenever this girl was involved. Her introduction to the clan was troublesome and maybe she wouldn't even be allowed to remain a Uzumaki. And just as if that wasn't enough Akahana was now also involved in some sort of conspiracy to destroy Uzushio. Misaki could only guess what was going through the girls head the moment.

"Just what should I do now, Misaki-san? The council is hellbent on hunting down all enemies within the walls of this village..."

"You do what you want to do. Currently you are a free person, no one can force you to do anything. You can stay and fight for Uzushio as one of us or walk away and live a life free of any obligations to this clan and this village. The choice is yours. Even with these enemies running around inside the village you have no obligations." Misaki replied truthfully.

Akahana's shoulders slumped in defeat, this was not really the answer she had wanted to hear. The choice was hers... she knew that already, but she had trouble making that decision on her own. Things were so much easier when her master made the crucial decisions for her.

"Do you think... do you think that the village would really need me, should I decide to stay? Would my presence make a difference?"

Akahana knew that was a dumb question. No one could predict what her presence would change. Kurou doubted that she would be able to save an entire village on her own, but maybe if she could get the support of other Uzumaki, the Uzukage and the rest of Uzushio's shinobi forces, she would be able to make a difference. Could she pull it off? But what would become of Kushina if she decided to stay? Her sister would have to return to Konoha once the Chunin exams are over. They would be separated for Kami knows how long. How was she supposed to protect Kushina from the dangers that had lead to her death if she was in another country? Would she have to make the decision whether to safe one girl that was close to her or her entire clan and its village?

And then there was the whole marriage problem. Should she decide to stay she would be forced to marry some stuck up pet of the council for the sake their political games. Who would be forced on her in that case? She had never thought about marriage, it was always clear that no one would want the demon girl, the trained weapon of Konoha. She had long given up on finding love after some events of her past. But marrying a man she had never met before left her with a feeling of uneasiness. It would be a sacrifice she would have to make for the sake of the village should she decide to stay.

Misaki watched the silent girl cautiously. Akahana managed to look so calm and collected on the outside, but one look into her blue eyes revealed her inner turmoil. She really wanted to help Akahana somehow, but she would have to wait for Akahana's decision. Should Akahana stay she would help her stepdaughter, but should Akahana decide to leave the clan behind Misaki knew that any further contact with the girl would be next to impossible.

The almost oppressive silence ended instantly when a red blur ran into the room and jumped at Akahana. The girl was too surprised to react at first and was toppled over by the small six year old redhead that had suddenly joined them in the room.

"Akahana! You're back!" Came the happy exclamation of Honoka Uzumaki, as the young orphan glomped Akahana. Just like the last time the girl seemed completely unfazed by the fact that she had almost been kidnapped by some shady people that would have done unthinkable things to her. Instead she sported a bright smile.

"Honoka, please let Akahana go. It is bad behavior to tackle and hug guests like that." Misaki chided the child with a gentle smile.

"Okay, Misaki-sama." Honoka said rather unenthusiastic as she let go of Akahana and sat down next to her. "Akahana, will you stay with us?"

The sudden question left Akahana stumped for some moments. The innocent question from the six year old just hit a nerve as it was exactly the question that also troubled her at the moment.

"Why... why do you ask, Honoka-chan?" Akahana asked with slight trepidation.

"Every time the bad men come to do bad things to me you save me. Not many care about where I am so I always have to be alone, I don't want to be alone. I want you to stay with me!" The girl exclaimed loudly, much to Akahana's surprise.

"Honoka, you can't just demand such a thing. And there are plenty of people that care for you. Even though I don't have the time to spend the entire day with you I and many others try to be with you as much as possible." Misaki said with a compassionate voice. But Honoka merely pouted.

"Honoka, the bad men would be unable to harm you if you would just stop running off all alone. I know myself that loneliness is hard for a young child. But you shouldn't risk yourself like this, there are many people who would be sad should something happen to you." Akahana said with a small smile. She knew better then anyone else how hard loneliness was for a child. She had spent the first four years of her life in almost complete solitude. And even after that she was often alone during her training when her tutors decided to stay in the shadows and observe her. Honoka's loneliness was completely different from what Akahana had experienced in the past, but even despite that Akahana would not wish such a feeling upon anyone else. No one should be forced to live isolated from others.

"When you are with me no one will harm me and I wouldn't be alone." The girl concluded quickly.

"No matter what happens we would always see each other again, Honoka. I will hunt those bad men and then you will be safe. And as soon as you are old enough to join the academy you will meet many other children your age and you will have many friends. You will never be alone, believe me." Akahana said calmly as she gently ruffled the young girls hair.

Honoka looked at the older girl with her dark eyes full of hope. "You promise that you will never disappear like mama and papa?"

Akahana sighed sadly as she heard Honoka's question. The girl craved attention as it seemed and by saving her Akahana had somehow become an important person to the young girl. "I promise, Honoka."

Misaki had watched the exchange with mixed feelings. Though she was glad that her little ward had found another person she could possibly open up to, she was unsure how Honoka would react should Akahana choose exile instead of staying with the clan. Of course Akahana wouldn't be out of the world, but it would be years before they would meet each other again. In the worst case Honoka could possibly try to run away and follow Akahana, something that would place her in great danger.

"Okay, you two. As much as I hate too break this up I think is time for Honoka to go and join the other children her age for their schooling." Honoka looked a bit miffed that she had to go, but with a little urging from Akahana she quickly left.

"I'm sorry for that, Honoka can be a bit... overbearing." Misaki said with a slight chuckle.

Akahana gave Misaki a melancholic smile before she turned to look out of a nearby window. "I can relate to her. I too latched onto the person that has saved me from a sad fate."

Misaki said nothing, she remembered what Akahana had told her about her own past. It was easy to understand that Akahana had meant her mentor. The man who had saved her from a life in solitude just to throw her into a life filled with war and death.

"Misaki-san, I want your honest opinion. What do you think I should do? Should I take the council's offer and stay or should I choose to leave this village and this clan for ever to follow a different destiny?"

"In my opinion... I believe that this clan would suffer a great loss should you decide to leave. You are a true Uzumaki, no matter where you have been born. And unlike most of the clan, your mind has not been poisoned by the arrogant believe that we are infallible. This clan has already lost too many good people while the wrong kind of people survived due to their cowardice."

At first Akahana was a bit shocked by the blunt reply from Misaki. But it was exactly what she had asked of Kushina's mother. An honest opinion.

"But... I also know that you have already formed some form of attachment to my daughter. Though Kushina would understand your reasons, I am sure she would be sad that you would be gone from her life so soon after she has found you." Misaki hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should continue or not, but in the end she uttered the words she had pondered. "But should you decide to leave I would like to ask... to ask you to keep an eye on my daughter and keep her safe. Frankly I don't trust those Konoha shinobi to keep her safe. They have always been a bit too distrustful of strangers. Who knows how she is treated in that village, but should you decide to go with her I would at least know that she isn't alone. But in the end the decision is yours. I know that you will make the right choice."

* * *

Later that day Akahana was on her way to the office of Toshiro Uzumaki. Though she still had one day left to make her choice she had already come to a decision. For hours she had deliberated about whether she should stay or leave.

In the end the decision she had to make was whether she would try and protect her clan or solely her sister. She would most likely not be able to do both. It would be difficult to safe Uzushio and its inhabitants should she decide too leave and it would be equally hard to be on time to save Kushina should she decide to become a kunoichi of Uzushiogakure. But Akahana would not allow herself to be discouraged. She would chance her fate and try to do both.

She knocked on the door of Toshiro's office and waited for some long moments until she heard his gruff voice ordering her to enter.

"Akahana, have you finally come to a decision or are you here because of those traitors in the village?" Toshiro asked with his stoic voice.

Akahana took a deep breath. This was the moment that would decide her fate in the near future. Her fate and that of many others. Stay and rally the forces of Uzushio to protect the village better then last time or go and hopefully convince others to help protecting the village in the time of need. Would the people of Uzushio listen to her? Or would she be able to convince other to help this village? It didn't matter any longer. She had already made her decision. Hopefully she would be allowed to continue her hunt for Tobi's pawns regardless of her decision.

"I am here to announce my decision, Toshiro-sama." Akahana replied calmly as she saw the man, who considered her to be one of his granddaughters, listen in anticipation of her choice.


	9. Whirlpool V

**Whirlpool Part V**

Hiruzen Sarutobi was a man greatly revered for his strength and knowledge. The Professor, the God of Shinobi. But to Jiraiya he was simply his sensei and prime source for guidance in troubled times. Hence it was only logical for Jiraiya to seek guidance from his former sensei for the situation he found himself in. He had really tried to cause as little trouble as possible during his stay in Uzushio. For his sensei's sake he had even kept his 'research' at a minimum. But even despite that, he managed to find himself in the middle of a crisis; this time the fight for Uzushio's very survival.

Of course he had to inform his sensei about the situation immediately, so he sent his fastest toad to the Hokage of Konoha to request advice or even orders on how to proceed from that point on. With the fights he had been drawn into, this was also a matter that had to be brought to the Hokage's attention since there were quite a few Genin and Jonin from Konoha in Uzushio at the moment. Should they be endangered by the situation, the Hokage might very well order them to withdraw from the Chunin exam for their own safety. And indeed the news warranted Sarutobi to meet with his council, his former team members Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.

A grave silence had taken hold of the Hokage's office after Sarutobi had finished informing his council about the situation Jiraiya had described to him. All three had similar frowns on their faces as they thought about the consequences of the current danger in Uzushio.

"Hiruzen, I think it would be best to order our shinobi to return immediately. We all knew that Uzushio was fighting a war at the moment, but they had assured us that the village would be safe. Had we known how things really are..." Koharu stated with a sigh.

"It is not that easy. Our alliance with Uzushio is already strained, but calling back our shinobi just because of a group of traitors inside the village would send the wrong sign to them. We all know that Uzushio is still one of the strongest villages out there. They are fighting two other major villages and still manage to dominate the fights. It is thanks to them that no one had dared to attack us after the Second War had ended. Loosing the alliance with them would be... unwise at the moment." Sarutobi replied with a stern voice. They owed much to Uzushio and he did not want to offend them. Calling back their Genin in the middle of the exam could be seen as an insult; a insult to the capabilities of Uzushio to keep those Genin safe for the duration of the exam.

"But that is not our war. They know and except that we can not and will not interfere with their fights. We can't get involved by having some of our shinobi meddle with that village's battles. I have no doubts that they are able to keep our Genin safe, but others might get involved. Your student already has meddled, we cannot allow any more participation in other village's wars." Homura exclaimed vehemently. "We all knew that Jiraiya does not always think before he acts, but even he should be aware of the possible consequences of his actions."

"My student does what he believes to be the right thing. When he sees someone in need of help he will help, that is just how he is." The Hokage defended his student as he glared at his former teammate.

"But he does things that are bad for the village that way! You can't deny that his interference could give Uzushio's enemies the wrong signs. Just imagine what would happen should Kumo and Kiri believe that we have entered their war on Uzushio's side. Should they declare war upon us we would be hard pressed to prevail. And with Iwa as warmongering as it is at the moment... I shudder at the thought of fighting three major villages at the same time." Homura said with a deep frown.

"Hiruzen, I know that you would always defend your student's actions, but Homura is right. We cannot afford a war at the moment. We are not strong enough yet. We need more time." Koharu stated with a soft voice to placate both fuming shinobi in the room.

"Don't you think that I already know that? I am the Hokage, even though sometimes you two like to forget that." Sarutobi said with a pointed look at Homura. "I know that such a war could ruin us. But I strongly dislike the idea of possibly abandoning our allies; it does not sit right with me. Our sensei's would be appalled at the very idea." At this both Koharu and Homura looked a bit ashamed. They knew that Hiruzen was right; that their sensei's, the Nidaime and Shodai Hokage, would have never abandoned an ally. They would have tried their hardest to find a way to save as many people as possible. "And don't forget that the Uzumaki of Uzushio have played a major role in the founding of Konoha. It is a debt we owe to them, a debt that we can never repay."

"We can always offer any Uzumaki sanctuary should their village fall. Konoha would welcome them with open arms." Homura stated evenly. "The granddaughter of their clan leader is already a citizen and kunoichi of Konoha, I am sure that others would follow her."

"They prefer their own home village, just like we would do in the same position. And both of you know the reasons why Kushina is with us and not with her family." Hiruzen replied. "And it doesn't matter to them that one of their leader's granddaughters is with Konoha, not now when he has the other girl in Uzushio."

"So that Akahana girl was really a Uzumaki; a member of the leading family no less. I knew we should have done something more to bind her to our village. Just imagine what it would have meant for us to have both heiresses of the Uzumaki clan as kunoichi of our village." Homura said with obvious aggravation because of the lost chances.

"It doesn't matter. According to Jiraiya she isn't very well liked by her clan just because she is the illegitimate child of the clan leader's youngest son." Hiruzen replied.

"The better had been our chance at getting the girl to agree with joining our ranks."

"Let is rest. It will never be, by now she is most likely already a kunoichi of Uzushio. Jiraiya stated that the clan elders have some plans for the girl. And since she is right in the middle of Uzushio's current battles it is highly doubtful that she would ever join any other village."

"We have to wait and observe then. At least tell your student and all other shinobi from our village to stay away from the fights in Uzushio." Koharu suggested tentatively. "Especially Kushina should be observed closely. With her half sister and her clan in the middle of this mess she is likely to try and join the fights."

"I can agree to that. They will finish the exams, but only observe the situation in Uzushio." Homura agreed readily to Koharu's suggestions.

"Yes, that might be the best course of action for us at the moment. I don't like it, but it might be the best choice for now." Hiruzen conceded with a weary sigh. "I will send Jiraiya the new orders. But you two will keep silent about this. I don't want anyone outside this office to know about the current situation. As long as we do not know more about the background of the fighting and its importance to our own village I will not allow this to be know by the rest of Konoha. We all know how the rumor mill of this village would exaggerate everything."

Both Koharu and Homura merely nodded at this. They knew this wouldn't be the last meeting about this topic, but without further information it would be unwise to make any preparations that would upset the village. All they could do at the moment was wait.

* * *

Kushina was beyond exhausted when she returned to the Uzumaki clan compound. After nearly a day of endless searching, spying and finally infiltrating, her team had managed to pass the first part of the Chunin exams. It wasn't the task they had to fulfill that had tired her out, it was the fact that they had not stopped for a single moment to rest or even eat. It was a contest where only the quickest would pass and the rivalry among the Genin teams was great. No one wanted to loose, so no one took even a moment to rest.

But now that they had passed this part they would be allowed to rest for a day. Time they would definitely need after the taxing first task. She couldn't wait for the next meal her mother would make for her. She hoped she would be able to persuade her mother to make her Ramen again. Maybe Akahana would even join them once more; she , too, had shown a great love for this particular food. Kushina was more then happy when she found out that her sister shared the same liking for Ramen, much to the amusement of Misaki who only commented that is was most likely something they had inherited from their father.

"Kaa-san, I'm home!" Kushina exclaimed happily as she entered her mother's house.

There was no immediate answer to Kushina's words so the girl walked around the house, looking for her mother or anyone else who might be there at the moment. Only after the third call for her mother, Misaki finally appeared from her study with a tired smile.

"Kushina-chan, you're finally back." Misaki said happily as she embraced her daughter. She couldn't help herself but hug her daughter at every possible moment, she had missed Kushina for years and soon her little girl would leave again for Kami knows how long. "How did your exam go?"

"We passed 'ttebane." Kushina exclaimed proudly. "The others stood no chance against us."

"I'm proud of you, my girl. Soon you will be a Chunin."

"Yep. And then there will be no more chores under the guise of D-Rank missions." Kushina said with a grin. "Ne, Kaa-san, can we eat Ramen today? You know as a reward for a job well done?" Kushina looked at her mother with pleading eyes, not that she really had to in order to convince her mother.

"Fine, we will eat Ramen... again." Misaki said with a mock huff.

"This is awesome 'ttebane. Can we also invite Akahana again? Please, Kaa-san."

"No need to plead with me. She will join us again today. She should come by later, after she has finished some business with your grandfather." Misaki said with a somewhat worried tone. She had seen Akahana enter Toshiro's office the evening before, but she had no idea what decision Akahana had made. Her father in law had merely told her that he would have to deal with some clan business concerning Akahana's future in the clan, when she asked about her stepdaughter this morning. But after that she had not seen either Akahana or Toshiro, much to her growing worry. She was sure that Akahana would not leave without saying good bye, should she have chosen exile. But the girl's absence did worry her a lot none the less.

"Is she alright?" Kushina asked equally worried when she saw her mother's expression.

"Yeah, there has been some trouble yesterday. Someone had tried to kidnap Honoka again, but Akahana and Arashi were able to save her in time. Luckily no one got hurt during that incident as well."

"Where is Honoka right now?" Kushina asked with a raised eyebrow.

"In my study. I was just about to teach her some new seals, so she won't wander off alone again." Misaki replied with a smile as she turned towards the open door to her study where she saw Honoka watching them curiously. "Why don't you take a rest for some moments. Just sit down and enjoy some rare moments of peace."

"Maybe, but I hate just sitting around..." Kushina whined slightly at the thought of just doing nothing. But luckily for her any chance for a peaceful day was gone when another person entered the house.

"Misaki!" Boomed the deep voice of Toshiro Uzumaki as the old clan leader entered the building.

"Yes, tou-san. We are all in the living room." Misaki replied quickly, curious why Toshiro had decided to visit them at home. The man rarely had the time to visit his own family as often as he would have liked. Even though Misaki was only his daughter in law and not a direct descendent of his, he still always considered her to be his daughter from the moment she had married his son. Even in public he always treated her like his own flesh and blood, showing his own conviction that family is the most important part of one's life.

Moments later Toshiro entered the living room closely followed by another familiar redhead. "Ah, sorry to intrude without prior warning, but I believe that you two..." at this he gestured towards Misaki and Kushina. "... would like to know these news ahead of the rest of the clan." When he finished speaking he stepped to the side and pushed his companion forward.

"Onee-san!" Kushina exclaimed happily as she ran up to her sister to hug her. But a few moments before she would have reached Akahana she stopped suddenly, looking at her sister with wide eyes.

"I see you have made your decision, Akahana." Misaki said with a smile. "I am glad to see your convictions out in the open."

Kushina said nothing for some moments as she looked at her sister, especially at the black shawl Akahana had around her neck with a very familiar silver plate on it. Kushina was struck speechless, her sister had chosen to stay in Uzushio. Kushina did not know that Akahana had to choose either to stay and follow the council's demands or face exile from the village and the clan. Even though she did not want it, she couldn't help but feel betrayed for some moments. Deep down Kushina had hoped that her sister would stay with her in Konoha. But she knew better and when she thought more about it she knew that this was better for her sister. To stay with the family she had never known before. If only she could stay as well...

"May I present to you the newest Jonin of our Uzushiogakure and the future matriarch of the Uzumaki clan." Toshiro said with barely concealed glee.

He had approved of his granddaughter's decision. In fact he had hoped she would stay with the clan. The animosity could be overcome once the clan knew her better and Toshiro wanted to keep her close solely for the reason that she was the daughter of his youngest son, his flesh and blood. He wanted to keep his family close and if he had a choice in the matter he would not allow Kushina to leave either. But there was also another reason; deep down Toshiro's pride as clan leader roared at the knowledge that even though his son's and male heirs were dead, his family would still remain in power. All future clan leaders would still be descendents of his family.

The next moment a red blur shot past Kushina and tackled Akahana in a hug just like the last time the girl had visited Misaki's home. Honoka's action was no surprise for Akahana and Misaki, both remembered the girls words from the day before. Toshiro watched the scene almost impassive at first, but then a look of realization spread over his face for some short moments. Kushina though still stood there unmoving, unresponsive to anything that happened around her.

"Akahana, that plate... does that mean that you will stay with us?" Honoka asked as she bounced happily around the older girl.

"Yes, Honoka. I will stay in Uzushio and with the clan." When she heard that the small six year old girl cheered even more then before, much to the amusement of the adults.

"I am glad to see that you have made your decision, Akahana. Things will surely change for the better with you here. And congratulations to your rank, to be a Jonin of Uzushio is a real honor that is not given lightly." Misaki said with a benevolent smile. But on the inside she was worried about Kushina's reaction. So far the usually outspoken girl had not said a single word after she had seen Akahana with the Uzushio hitai-ate.

"They had little choice but to give her this rank. Almost the entire village has witnessed her fight against Arashi and he isn't one of our finest Jonin for nothing." Toshiro grunted out.

Misaki merely continued smiling when she heard that. It was a given that the fight on the river would not be the last between Akahana and Arashi, especially not with the fate Akahana had chosen for herself. But now she had to do something to get Kushina out of her stupor and she knew exactly what would do the trick.

"Well I believe this calls for a celebration. Kushina has made her first big step towards the Chunin rank and Akahana has become a Jonin. How about we all have dinner together this evening?" Misaki asked everyone in the room, though she mainly looked at Toshiro and Akahana. "We will have Ramen again, surely you all would be agreeable with that?" And of course this got the wanted reaction. Both Kushina and Akahana looked at her with great anticipation shining in their eyes and even Toshiro couldn't help but consider joining them. Though he was not as addicted to Ramen like his granddaughters, it was no secret that the Uzumaki clan leader loved to eat the noodle soups every now and then.

"I would really like to, Misaki, but I have a rather tight schedule right now..." Toshiro said evasively.

"Please, tou-san. It has been so long since the entire family has taken the time to have dinner together. Who knows when we will get the next chance to be together like this?" Misaki asked with a look towards Kushina. It was true, once the exams were over Kushina would return to Konoha and no one could say when they would meet again.

Toshiro could only sigh when he was suddenly the center of the attention of all three females in the room. He would love to be with his family for some time, but with the current situation in the village his workload was increasing with every moment he left it unattended. But he also knew he couldn't let this chance slide.

"Fine, Misaki. I will be there. And I guess when you want this to be a family dinner that I should bring Akahana's fiancee as well. The idiot should learn the dynamics of the family he is about to marry into." Toshiro said with a contemplative look.

"That is fine with me as long as it does not bother Akahana." They all looked at the girl in question only to see her give a noncommittal shrug. "I guess it is settled then. Please don't be late, tou-san."

Toshiro only responded with rolling his eyes at the last comment before he turned around and left. He had other things to tend to now. But at least two of his worries were gone with Akahana's decision. That knowledge made his current situation somewhat easier. And at least the elders would bother him less, now that they had a legitimate heir for the clan with a befitting wife.

Akahana meanwhile watched Kushina with worry. The girl was still silent, a look of disbelieve on her face. When Akahana made a step towards her sister Kushina even turned around and quickly left the room and the building.

Misaki sighed when she saw her daughter's reaction to Akahana's decision. "I had feared she would react like that..."

"I should better look for her. I must explain my reasons... so far I had not even told her about the council's demands and their ultimatum..." Akahana replied with a apprehensive tone before she hurried after Kushina.

Little Honoka only looked surprised at the sudden actions of the two older girls and wanted to follow Akahana. But she was stopped when Misaki held her back. "Let them do this alone, Honoka. They need to talk and you can't help them with that." Misaki gave her young ward a small smile before she guided Honoka back towards the office where they had been before Kushina's arrival. "Come, your lesson is not over yet."

* * *

On the other end of Uzushio Akihiro was pacing restlessly through his office. He was anxious, no he was far beyond that. The day before he had nearly been caught; it was close, but he managed to escape. But his escape was only possible because of the interference of his current employer. Had the masked man not helped him... he did not even want to imagine what the Uzumaki would have done to him. He was sure he could beat one or two of them in open combat, but much to his anger the Uzumaki always seemed to travel and fight in groups of four or five. And fighting against the clan leader was something that he had no intention to do.

Now the entire village was on high alert and to make things even worse his employer would be beyond furious. He had to suppress the memories what his current employer had done to his other partner. When his teammate had failed a mission some months ago, their employer had made an example of what he does to people who fail him. He could still remember her screams when that masked monster had tortured her half to death. The only mercy that man had given her was a swift death after he had made his point clear.

And now he could possibly face the same fate. He didn't even want to imagine that. Surely his employer would make an exception for him; after all there would be only Ishikawa left after his death and everyone knew that the damn coward would never be able to fulfill their orders.

"Akihiro..." Came a light growl from behind the man. He knew the voice well enough, but he still couldn't help but flinch at the sound of it. "You failed my master again, Akihiro."

"It wasn't my fault! Everything went according to plan until your master switched places with me." Akihiro replied accusingly. But he regretted his words only moments after he had spoken them when a Kunai was pressed against his throat.

"Are you blaming my master for your incompetence, Akihiro?"

"It was his interference that disrupted the plan..." He stopped when he felt the Kunai cut into his flesh, drawing blood. "What will you do now, huh? Kill me and your own plans will never come to be."

"Me, killing you? You must be mistaken, I am a good boy. My master though..." The voice of the man was mocking, angering Akihiro even more.

"We had a deal! He violated that deal again and again. He messed everything up when he killed Reika and now he fucked everything up with stopping me from capturing that damn Uzumaki girl" Akihiro exclaimed loudly.

"Whining about your teammate again, Akihiro? She was a failure... just like you. And our deal is moot if you are unable to complete your part. You can't escape without my help; you will never see your precious home again!"

"It won't help us that you bring us to our village, if there are none of us left!" Akihiro bit back angrily. "Kill me, I dare you to. Kill me and your own plans with me."

"You three were a pathetic bunch of saboteurs when my master found you and you will never be anything else. You are expendable for his plans. But my master is merciful and gives you one last chance. Use it well, Akihiro."

"All this just so he can get the Uzumaki bloodline..." Akihiro rued the day his team had first met this man and his master. The day when their mission had gotten out of control.

"You will capture that brat... but you will do one additional service for my master." The man spoke with almost childish glee in his voice. "Akahana Uzumaki, you will capture her as well. My master wants her alive. After all she is the only intriguing person in this puny village."

"You want to see us dead, don't you? Fighting her is nothing like capturing a child."

"Are you scared of a woman, Akihiro? I always thought you prided yourself with you strength. You desert rats are usually so prideful, but maybe you are different."

"Just shut up you damn bastard. You will get the child, but I won't make promises about that woman. I will rather kill her if she stands in our way." Akihiro bellowed angrily. As he roared in his anger his throat pressed a little more into the sharp Kunai; more blood was leaking out.

"Draw her out and subdue her, Akihiro. This is your last chance." And with these words the man had disappeared just as mysteriously as he had appeared before.

"Damn bastard." Akihiro yelled as he smashed his fist onto the table in front of him. "We will all die because of you..."

* * *

Akahana could easily find Kushina as she ran after her sister. There weren't many places in Uzushio where she could have run to and it was out of the question that the young redhead could leave the village unseen. No in the end there was only one place where she would run to. The same place that Akahana had run to when she needed solace after her first meeting with Toshiro some days ago.

And there, on the shore of the secluded lake near the Uzumaki compound Akahana found Kushina. The girl sat there, brooding with her knees drawn to her chest, her eyes focused on the ripples on the water that were caused by the stones she was throwing in every now and then.

Akahana slowed down as she had finally reached Kushina, a look of apprehension on her face. This was something that she was not very good at. She could read people, understand how they feel. But she was never very good at empathizing.

"Kushina?" Akahana asked carefully.

"What? Why did you follow me? Shouldn't you celebrate your new rank with the clan?" Kushina snapped angrily.

"Why, Kushina? Why does it make you so angry that I have chosen to serve Uzushio?"

"Do you really have to ask? I have finally found out that I have a sister and a few days later she chooses to stay as far away from me as physically possible."

"Do you think that I will abandon you because of this?" Akahana asked with astonishment.

"Do you really have to ask that question? You have chosen to stay here and I will have to return to Konoha... I will be alone again..." Some tears escaped Kushina's eyes as she said that. "Why? Why couldn't you decide to come back to Konoha with me?"

"Kushina... you don't understand the decision I had to make..." Akahana replied almost inaudibly. Her head hung in shame as she realized how much it had hurt Kushina that she had made this decision without consulting her first.

"What decision? To stay here and marry the bastard who wants to take our families power for himself? How could you be so selfish?" Kushina yelled at Akahana, a look of loathing in her eyes as she looked at the older girl next to her.

"I had little choice in the matter, Kushina. When I met with clan council I was given a simple choice. Stay in Uzushio as a kunoichi of the village and marry the clan heir or..."

"Or what?"

"Or being banished from the village and forever exiled from the clan. Either this or loosing my family again after I have only found them a few days ago..." Akahana couldn't dare to look at Kushina as she said that. The way Kushina had looked at her before... Kushina was one of the last persons that she would ever want to hate her... but her decision might have caused just that.

But Kushina's anger almost dissipated when she heard the decision her sister had to make. She had not known that Akahana's only alternative would have been exile. She would have never expected the clan and her grandfather to threaten Akahana with something like that.

"Why didn't you tell me before about that choice you had to make?" Kushina asked carefully.

"I didn't want to burden you with my problems, when you have to face something like the Chunin exam. You need to be able to focus on the exam, if you wish to succeed. And even if I had decided to face exile instead of staying here, I wouldn't have been able to follow you to Konoha. You weren't there when I faced the Hokage, but the man does not trust me. I would not have been welcome there. My only chance to find a home was here... even though the clan distrusts me, my chances to gain their approval are higher than ever being allowed to return to Konoha."

"That is bullshit and you know it! The Sandaime might have been weary of you because of your sudden appearance, but he would have never sent you away!" Kushina exclaimed enraged.

"Silly imouto. You don't understand politics yet. As long as Konoha is allied to Uzushio they would have never taken me in. Taking in an exile from Uzushio would have put great strain on the alliance between the villages and I am not worth enough to risk such a thing... And the Hokage has even greater reasons to dislike me... after all I attacked one of his students..." Akahana sighed deeply when she thought about her decision. "Know this, Kushina. I never intended to hurt you, but should you resent me because of my decision then I will understand it and stay away from you." She meant these words, but she knew it would hurt to be rejected by Kushina. But Akahana was sure that the reason for her existence in this time line was to protect others... her own feelings were unimportant for that.

With these words Akahana turned around and left Kushina alone at the shore. Kushina remained behind, shocked to silence by her sisters parting words. Was she angry that Akahana had not told her before she had made the decision? Definitely! Did she hate her sister because of that? No... she couldn't bring herself to hate her sister. Though she only knew her sister for a few days she still cared a lot about Akahana. There was a deep understanding between the two Uzumaki girls that Kushina had only shared with own her mother so far. It was something that she would never want to loose. But the feeling of betrayel still stung painfully...

* * *

While Kushina was still brooding over the current situation Akahana tried to return to Misaki. There were still some things that had to be discussed about her coming introduction into the clan and Toshiro had made it clear that Misaki would play a major role in that. But Akahana did not get that far, instead she just ran into the next troublesome person.

"Arashi-teme..." Akahana growled exasperated as he stood in her way. "Get out of the way, I have things to do."

"Not so fast, outsid... Akahana. There are things we have to discuss." Arashi said with a casual expression.

"I doubt that. Everything is quite clear. I won't be bothered with you until I have proven my loyalty to the clan, so just stay out of my way." Akahana said as she pushed past him and continued on her way.

"I don't know how you did it, but don't think that I will allow such a crucial task like the protection of the clan from this new threat to be solely handed by an untrustworthy person like you." He quickly followed her until he was close enough to grab her arm and stop her. "This is too important."

"Don't you think I know that? There is no one in this village who knows as much about Tobi as I do. I know how he acts and what to expect of him. I won't let this village fall because of his schemes, I stopped him in the past and I will stop him again." Her words were forceful; her fists tightly clenched as past memories of Tobi's crimes resurfaced.

"But even you admitted that you can't do it alone, that you no longer have the power to stop him on your own." Arashi looked pointedly at her, his eyes never leaving hers as he spoke. "Don't be foolish, Akahana. I won't let you risk the clan just because of your stubbornness."

"Tobi is my responsibility. That bastard and I still have some unfinished business."

Arashi's eyes narrowed as he saw some emotion flash through her eyes as she said that. "He has killed someone important to you, hasn't he?"

She only let out a humorless laugh at that; shaking her head softly she pulled her arm from his grip and turned her back to him. "He has taken more than one person from me... my friends, my comrades... two persons that shared my fate, people that were like my older siblings in a way... And now he is here and threatens my clan and family... I won't let him succeed. And I won't let you stand in my way, Arashi." She knew that she would have to fight Tobi eventually. Here in the past long before he could commit his crimes against this world... but she was wrong; so wrong... Tobi's schemes had started long before she was born and now she was right in the middle of the fight once more.

"Is that why you have demanded from Toshiro-sama to assign you the task to stop this man and his pawns? All this just for revenge? Is that the reason why you have come to Uzushio in the first place, are we just some means to an end for you?" Arashi exclaimed furiously.

"I did not know that he would be here... I had never even planned to come here until I ended up in Konoha and was more or less escorted here by the Jonin of those Genin that participate in the exams. Until yesterday I believed that Tobi was dead, Arashi, so don't blame me for this." The last part was a lie; a necessary lie and one she hoped that Arashi would not be able to discover.

Arashi let out a frustrated sigh as his shoulders sagged and his entire posture became less stiff then before. He could not detect a lie in her words, but it was obvious that she had not told him everything. He could only hope that her secrets would not threaten Uzushio and the clan. And both Toshiro-sama and Misaki-san seemingly trust the girl. Both of them were known for their ability to read people just by looking at them. Only few ever managed to mislead them. And then there was the fact that he would have to spend a very long time with this girl in the future, so he should better try to get along with her. It was obvious that he would not get anything out of her unless he would try to use force... and that would be inadvisable.

"Listen, Akahana. The protection of the clan has always been my duty. All these men, women and children are my responsibility and I would rather die then let anything happen to them. For whatever reason you wish to take part in this fight I will be with you. We will fight side by side in this and I won't take a no for an answer." His voice was less gruff this time, he hoped that he sounded more understanding then before. Outsider or not, Toshiro-sama would kick his ass should he somehow hurt his granddaughter, that much was certain. For some reason the man had started to trust... maybe not trust yet, but he cared for Akahana. And once the girl had been officially initiated into the clan the other members would most likely start to treat her with less hostility as well...

* * *

Dinner that evening was a rather somber affair despite the happy occasion for the family gathering. Kushina was still oddly silent no matter who spoke to her. The only real conversation happened between Toshiro and Misaki, but even that was only about political topics, mostly the Uzukage's frequent disappearances. Even today, when Akahana came to agree to his proposition, to become a Uzushio kunoichi, the Kage was not even present; instead his assistant did all the formalities with Akahana to make her one of the village's protectors.

Arashi spent half of the evening with watching Akahana closely; his face often showing his apparent difficulties to figure her out. Misaki was rather amused by the young man's sudden interest in his fiancee; not a day prior he had treated her like a dangerous criminal and now he was forced to accept her. She could only guess how he had reacted when the clan elders had told him that he has to marry Akahana.

But as the evening progressed Arashi quickly left the family alone, with a rather dubious excuse. It was obvious that he felt a tad bit queasy, especially with Toshiro in the same room. A mere slight against the man's family could lead to a rather harsh punishment, no matter that he would now become part of that family by decree of the council.

When Misaki asked Akahana to accompany her on one a walk Kushina was left alone with her grandfather, not that she would have realized it. She had been in her own world for the entire evening, her mind struggling with her sister's words.

"Kushina?" Toshiro asked in his usual stoic voice. But the girl showed no reaction at first. "KUSHINA!" He repeated with more vehemence.

The girl finally snapped out of her stupor and looked rather baffled at her grandfather; the old man still looking at her with a somber expression. "Y...Yes, grandfather?"

"What is wrong with you today? Being silent and brooding the entire time, this isn't like you at all. Has something happened during the Chunin exams that I should know of? Have there been any irregularities?"

"No... no, grandfather. The exam went well. Nothing out of the ordinary..." Kushina mumbled.

"Then why do you act like a hollow shell of yourself?" Toshiro asked with a concerned face. "Is this about Akahana?"

There was no need for an answer. Kushina's reaction told him enough. "So it is. Does it bother you that she has become a kunoichi of Uzushio? Is there something about her that we should have known beforehand?"

"There is nothing wrong with her joining this village..." She answered dejectedly.

"But?"

"But... I just hoped that she would... that she would return to Konoha with me... I know I am selfish here, but I just hoped that would be someone else from my family with me..."

"Even with your sister staying here that does not mean that Akahana will take your place in this family away, Kushina. She will have a long struggle ahead of her to win the acceptance of the clan."

"Even with her becoming the future matriarch of the clan? They will accept her eventually... and I will still be alone in Konoha..."

Toshiro could only frown when he heard his granddaughter's words. He had not liked it when Kushina had been sent to Konoha all of a sudden. But it was a sacrifice they had to make for the sake of their alliance. An alliance that wasn't even worth the piece of paper it was written on according to his point of view. He was sure that in case they would really need help from the Leaf, that Konoha would sneak out with dubious excuses. So one of his grandchildren had to serve a village that will either abandon them or worse will become an enemy one day. And according to her last words, Kushina was not happy where she was right now.

"Do you think she has made this choice to get away from you, Kushina?"

"NO. I know that she had no real choice in this. I know that she had to choose between this and exile... I just wish that things would be different and that she could be with me in Konoha." 'Or I could stay here' were the words she had left unspoken.

"I want you to know, Kushina, that your sister has made a very hard decision. To be truthful I had not expected her to stay. Judging by everything she has told me about herself I came to the conclusion that she is a lone wolf, someone who travels alone to find her fate. But she decided to stay; to face her responsibilities towards the clan; to protect the clan in one of its darkest hours. She has deferred her own wishes to serve the clan. Her struggle with this decision was obvious, but she made it. She made it without complaining... but with three stipulations of her own."

At this Kushina looked at her grandfather with a slightly confused expression. "What did she ask for?"

"Her first request concerns your mother's ward, Honoka. Akahana has asked for the girl to be appointed as her apprentice. She has asked for that so Honoka gets the attention she needs to become a successful member of the clan; Akahana knows that your mother can't spend as much time with Honoka as the young girl needs." Kushina looked depressed when she heard that. She knew it would be petty to be jealous of the orphaned girl just because Honoka would be able to spend more time with Akahana then she could, but that did not deter the dark feeling in the slightest.

"Akahana's second request concerns our latest incident. She has asked to be allowed to hunt down the traitors and their leader without being held back by the clan. Since she has the most experience with the enemy's leader I have appointed her as the leader for the traitor hunt." Toshiro said with slight pride in his voice. Yes he was proud that she was so willing to fight for the clan. Not many were left who would willingly seek combat. Most had to be ordered; in fact the only two clan members that had volunteered for this hunt were Akahana and Arashi. He knew that with this kind of willingness to work for the well being of the clan, she would earn the acceptance of the other Uzumaki in no time.

"And the last request concerns you, Kushina. Akahana has asked for the prerogative when it comes to missions to Konoha. I have promised her that she would get the chance to see you regularly. To achieve this I will sent her to Konoha on missions every now and then. She was very adamant about this request."

"Onee-san has requested this for my sake? But... why would she..." Kushina was baffled by this. She had not expected Akahana to ask something like this just for her sake. Even though this would require her to spend much time on the road to travel between the two villages regularly.

"Even though you and Akahana only know each other for a short time it is obvious that she cares about you. The girl shows loyalty towards her family that I have seen rarely even in our clan. It is obvious that those who earn her trust gain a very valuable and loyal friend and ally." Toshiro spoke with a calm, almost benevolent voice as he looked at his granddaughter. He was glad to see that the gloominess that had befallen the girl had all but vanished now. "You see now that there is no reason for you to be angry or resentful because of Akahana's decision... You better go now and finish your preparations for tomorrow, the next part of the exam will be even harder then the first. Make your clan proud tomorrow, Kushina." Toshiro spoke sternly before he stood up and left Kushina alone.

* * *

Akahana followed her stepmother quietly through the less crowded streets of the village. In the early evening most people had already finished their daily business and left for their homes and families; it was quite interesting to see the streets this empty. Until now Akahana had only seen the village bustling with life. But one thing would never really change. Most people they had passed so far had made no attempt to hide their stares. Ever since she had arrived, she had been the main topic of the village's gossip; when people saw her with a Uzushio hitai-ate around her neck now, they were quite surprised. After her fight against Arashi there had been a rather nasty rumor that she was a Kirigakure spy, but what they saw now left that in question...

Akahana had not asked why Misaki had requested her to come along, but in a way it did not really matter at the moment. She was actually quite happy to leave the house for some time, so Kushina could be alone to make up her mind. The depressing atmosphere during the dinner was enough reason to worry about the future relationship between the sisters.

After some time in companionable silence it was Misaki who spoke first, though it was only with a muted voice to avoid attention. "You know we are being followed, Akahana." She could only nod positive to that statement, Akahana had discovered their pursuers beforehand.

"I know. One of them is Honoka... nosy little girl." Akahana said with a slight smile. "Don't worry, Honoka doesn't know it yet, but one of my shadow clones keeps an eye on her. The moment someone gets to close to her I will know about it to protect her."

"I was not talking about Honoka. Better tell your clone to bring Honoka back to the compound." Misaki hissed.

"They don't know about us yet, fleeing with Honoka would mean to give up our chance to surprise them." Akahana did not like to gamble with Honoka's life, especially not now that the girl would be her future ward and apprentice. But it was necessary to lure out their enemies. For whatever reason they were being followed, it wouldn't be long before they would have to fight, that much was sure.

"Follow me, we must lure them out of the residential areas. I don't want civilian casualties should we fight this evening. Come, there is a training ground nearby." Misaki said as she lead Akahana further down the streets of the village.

The training ground they entered a few moments later was nothing more then a large green field at the border of the village, close to the village walls. Their pursuers were still there, as was Honoka who watched the two older Uzumaki with great interest.

But not all other persons were hidden. There was one particular person awaiting them in the middle of the field. A man in rather recognizable robes with his hat drawn deep into his face to hide his features.

"Oh, I did not expect visitors this evening. What gives me the honor of meeting two of the Uzumaki clan's most notorious members?" The robed man spoke with a slurring voice; every syllable sounding strained as if he had difficulties with speaking.

"The Uzukage?" Akahana asked with a distrustful voice. The man had been missing earlier this day when she had become a kunoichi of Uzushio. In his stead it was Akihiro who completed the entire process with her and gave her a rank and her hitai-ate. It was strange, especially since the offer to join Uzushio came from the Uzukage in the first place.

"Be careful, Akahana, something isn't right here." Misaki spoke as she watched the Kage wearily.

"Why so distrustful, Misaki-san? We are all friends here within the walls of Uzushio. We can't afford to let suspicions to divide our forces." The man slurred, as he slowly came closer to the two women. "After all there all already enough enemies waiting outside of our walls for a chance to exploit our weaknesses."

"What are doing here, Uzukage-sama?" Misaki asked with narrowed eyes. "Shouldn't you be in your office, doing your work for the sake of this village?" She couldn't help but feel anxious at that moment. The presence of the Uzukage was unexpected and rather suspicious. And then there were still the pursuers, waiting in the shadows for a chance to strike.

Akahana shared the feeling that Misaki had at that moment; she knew all too well to expect the unexpected at any given time. Far too often had enemies attacked her in places where she felt safe; using people that she had trusted ever so slightly. Years of war had taught her to be ready for anything at any given time. Even now her hand slowly itched towards the sword on her hip, just in case of a sudden attack... no matter who attacked her at that moment.

For a brief moment Akahana allowed her gaze to wander around the field in an attempt to find a sign of the men that had followed them before, but all she could see was Honoka watching them from a rather useless cover somewhere near the buildings.

But her moment of inattentiveness was the opening her enemies had been waiting for. The attack come so quick that Akahana could barely get her sword out of its sheet to block the enemies strike. But to her astonishment the attacker was neither Tobi nor one of his minions, but the Uzukage himself. He had tried to gut her with a blade that had suddenly sprouted from the sleeve of his long robe; there was no doubt that she would be dead had she not blocked the blow.

"Why you damn..." Akahana muttered while Misaki got ready to fight and threw some Kunai with attached seals at the attacking Kage.

"Not a day in service and you already fight against your Kage... such treason, Akahana-san." The Kage chuckled darkly.

Akahana pressed them man away and swung her sword in fluid motions to hit her opponent. The deadly dance that she had learned long ago. A mixture of Kenjutsu and applied Wind Ninjutsu. A deadly combination that had lead to the death of many enemies. But this Kage merely leaped out of her way and engaged Misaki in combat.

With each attack the man launched against the older Uzumaki his speed increased, his viciousness grew and his blood lust became more palpable. Misaki only had her Kunai to block the man's blade; enough to protect her, but not enough to counterattack without getting cut up due the inferior reach of her weapon.

Akahana quickly came to help Misaki, but before she could get even close she could see a sudden glint in the Uzukage's eyes as they became visible for a moment. After that the time seemed to slow down until it eventually stopped altogether when Akahana could only watch as another blade shot out of the Kage's mouth and impaled Misaki right through her chest.


	10. Whirlpool VI

Toshiro Uzumaki sat silently in his office as he read the latest reports about the actions of the clan as he contemplated their current situation. The clan itself was still the strongest in Uzushio, but it had clearly seen better times. Years of war had cost them many good men and women, people he now missed dearly. It was a critical time for the entire clan now. A new way for the future had to be found or else this war would soon lead to the extinction of their old and revered bloodline.

He remembered the days when his father helped founding this village only months after he had returned from Konoha. Toshiro was still a small child when his father was finally appointed as the first Uzukage of Uzushio. It was a glorious time for the entire Uzumaki Clan. A time when it filled them with pride to be part of this village. But now... it was their home, but this village also slowly became their grave. Toshiro knew that he couldn't allow that.

His family had lead the clan since time immemorial. They had lead the clan proudly through good and bad times, always with dignity and honor as great values of their clan. Until a few days ago he had dreaded the day he would have to step down, the day that his family would loose the leadership position due to the lack of heirs. But at least that problem had been solved now. With the appearance of his granddaughter Akahana, he could at least guarantee that the future leaders of the clan would come from his direct family.

Her arrival was almost too good to be true. She appeared at the most convenient time, something that caused much distrust. He still had some doubts about the girl, that had made such a big impression on the village, only days after her arrival. But he knew at least that she had not come with any ill intentions towards the clan. But the aura of mystery was still around her, her unknown past and unclear intentions were still a cause for worry. But he would just have to keep an eye on her, with time every mystery can be solved.

He had seen during the dinner that evening, that Akahana at least seemed to greatly cherish her family. Especially Kushina was dear to her for some reason. He couldn't help but smirk as he wondered what Arashi would have to do to convince his betrothed to feel the same way about him. It would definitely be amusing to watch his attempts at winning her over.

It was moments later that an explosion could be heard and small tremors traveled through the ground beneath him. His first thought was that someone must attack the village, but their enemies had never been bold enough to try such a thing. As he rushed out of his office he could only hope that there was another explanation for this, little did he know what trouble would await him soon.

* * *

Akahana watched in horror as Misaki sunk to the ground, unmoving, the sword still running through her chest. It was happening again, she had hoped that she would finally be strong enough, quick enough to prevent anyone close to her from being killed. Once more it seemed that Tobi's plots had cost the life of someone important to her.

Of all the people Akahana had met in Uzushio, Misaki had been the most understanding and genuinely helpful person. She was the first person that tried to fill a parental role in her life without having any hidden agendas for her. And now... now she lay there.

"Such a pity. I really had expected more from a member of the Uzumaki's main family." The Uzukage said with a condescending tone as he looked at his fallen opponent. "I truly hope that you will not disappoint me like this, Akahana-san."

Akahana could barely react as he engaged her once more in close combat, his limbs moving at an inhuman speed as he unleashed a flurry of attacks against her. She was quickly pushed on the defensive, but even there she was hard pressed to parry or evade every attack that rained down on her.

Knowing that she could not overcome the enemies speed in close combat Akahana jumped a few feet back to increase their distance before she tried to beat her enemy in mid range combat. "Futon: Kazekiri no Jutsu." Akahana exclaimed several times as she launched one attack after another against the Kage before her.

He evaded her Jutsu's, the first missed his head barely, the second went into the empty space where the Uzukage had stood moments before. A third attack followed, but again the man moved to fast. Momentarily he was back in close range, causing Akahana many cuts as he resumed his relentless attack.

"Futon: Daitoppa." Her desperate attack hit the enemy dead on as he was to close to evade and it blew him over the field, far away from Akahana. "Futon: Shinkugyoku." She exhaled several wind bullets that quickly followed the Uzukage as he was blown back, hitting him several times, ripping his Kagerobes to reveal the person underneath.

But what she saw came as a shock to Akahana, her opponent was not a human. No, under the robes were the wooden limbs of a puppet, its dead eyes staring mockingly at her.

"He he he, so the little vixen has finally revealed me. Good, good. The master already predicted that you would be a more challenging target." The puppet exclaimed with a mocking laugh, a raspy sound that made it sound even more taunting then usual.

"Where is your master, where is that coward that hides in the shadows instead of fighting me head on?" Akahana exclaimed in cold anger. She had no time to waste, she had to defeat this person if she wanted any chance to possibly help Misaki. Her time was running out.

"So impatient. My master will not join you at the moment, he has the best seats in the house and enjoys the show." Again the puppet laughed tauntingly at Akahana. "But you want to play with fancy Jutsu, well be my guest. Suiton: Suishoha!"

Suddenly a vortex of water appeared before Akahana, coming closer with frightening speed before it started to crash down on her like a wave. There was no escape, the water was everywhere, all around her.

"Futon: Daitoppa." Akahana exclaimed hastily as she tried to push the wave back or at least open a path out of that vortex. It succeed shortly, but before Akahana could escape the puppet used the created rift to enter the vortex around her.

"Not so fast, little Uzumaki. You won't escape this easily."

Again the puppet attacked her in close combat, but this time his movements were sluggish at first before it returned to its earlier speed. Akahana quickly realized that the water vortex did not just keep her trapped inside, but it also blocked the puppeteers view. He would have to change his position so he could see what is going one through the only opening. The rift she had created. Now she had to stall him until she could see the man that was hiding behind this puppet.

"Why, why are you doing this? Why were you impersonating the Uzukage?" Akahana asked wearily in an attempt to stop the enemies attacks for a short moment.

"He he he. Wouldn't you want to know. This man was so unbelievably foolish, so trusting. All of this village can be fooled so easily."

Akahana ignored the mocking nature of the statement and instead concentrated on the rift and what she could see outside. "Are you from Kiri? Kumo? No, neither of them use puppeteers. They have no need for grown up men playing with dolls." She couldn't help but taunt her enemy, especially after all he had said before.

"Those fools are too weak. They can't even beat this pathetic village though they outnumber you almost three to one by now. I would be ashamed to hail from those weaklings."

"Brave words from a man that hides behind his doll." Akahana mocked loudly before she saw a glimpse of blue chakra going from the puppet back to the nearby buildings. "Got you." She mumbled inaudibly too herself.

She quickly feinted an attack on the puppets body before she ducked to the side and escaped the vortex. In mere seconds she had reached buildings where she had seen the chakra thread going to. "There you are. Futon: Daitoppa." Another strong squall blew away a small run down hut near the field, debris crashed down all around her before she saw a person jump away from the place.

"Stop running you damn coward!" Akahana yelled angrily.

"Pah. So you found me. Congratulations, not many have come this far. But none of them returned to tell the tale of their achievement either." The words came from a lanky man who now stood near the puppet on the wet grass of the field where the water vortex had collapsed. A nasty smile was visible on his face as he looked at Akahana.

"We will see about that. Now that I have you out in the open you won't stand a chance against me." Akahana grinned maliciously at the man before she mumbled some words. With a small poof there were suddenly six copies of her, surrounding her on both sides.

"Shadow Clones won't help you, vixen. I've seen your earlier fights and knew that you would resort to this faulty tactic." He commanded his puppet to attack and it immediately shot towards Akahana while he only moved one finger of his hand.

Akahana, too, charged at her enemy, ready to finally end this fight in her favor. It had already taken enough of her time. The puppet started to attack one of the clones, planning on dispelling them quickly one after another. But his attack went right through his target.

"Normal clones then. As if mere illusions could harm me." The puppeteer exclaimed in almost childish glee before his features turned murderous again. "Now it is time for you to die!"

The puppet charged through the rest of the clones, ignoring them, passing another two illusions before suddenly a clone grabbed the puppet from behind.

"What the..." The puppeteer said wonderingly as he saw this, but what confused him more then the suddenly solid clone was the bright smirk on Akahana's face.

"It's over. Jibaku Bunshin." As the final words left her mouth the clone blew up in a giant explosion that rocked the ground and left a deep crater. The puppet though was no more.

"You damn bitch. That was my favorite puppet. You will pay for this!"

"No. Dead men should be quiet." Akahana replied coldly before she suddenly dispelled, revealing herself as another clone. For some moments the puppeteers looked around searchingly for the girl; too late did he realized that she was behind him, her sword in hand. He only felt his world go black as the sword was rammed through his heart from behind.

* * *

Akahana exhaled a sigh of relief as she saw her enemies dead body on the ground before her. She needed some moments to catch her breath after the fight. But then the memory of what had happened to Misaki rushed back into her mind and she quickly ran over to the woman, worried that she might be too late.

"Misaki-san! Please don't be dead. Oh please don't..." She crouched down next to Misaki and quickly removed the blade from the woman's chest. To her relief she could still feel a weak pulse and saw her shallow breathing.

"Akahana?" Misaki said with a strained voice as she opened her eyes to see who was standing next to her.

"Yes, Misaki-san. It's me."

"The Uzukage?" Misaki asked weakly.

"Long dead. He was impersonated by a puppet. Don't worry, the puppet and puppeteer are defeated." Akahana said in a soothing manner, not willing to cause Misaki any distress in her current state. "But now I must quickly get you to a hospital before..."

Akahana's voice suddenly stopped as she felt something else. Another of her clones had dispelled moments ago. And the only clone left was the one guarding Honoka... Alerted by this Akahana quickly stood up, gripping her own sword tightly as she waited for the arrival of another enemy.

And she did not have to wait long, seconds later Akihiro appeared before her, flanked by two clones of himself, holding a Kunai to the throat of a shaking Honoka. The seven year old girl looked pale and for the first time since Akahana had seen the girl she looked frightened.

"You... I should have known after the ordeal with that false Uzukage!" Akahana hissed at Akihiro.

"Ah, my dear Akahana, you do me so much injustice. I am not such a crude being like poor Ishikawa over there." At this he nodded towards the dead puppeteer. "Such a waste, he was sometimes helpful as a teammate."

"Damn you, Akihiro. Release Honoka at once or I'll..."

"Or what? You are in no position to make any demands. I on the other hand..." He left the sentence hanging as he pushed the Kunai closer to Honoka's throat, causing a shallow cut that bled.

"What do you want, you damn traitor?"

"You, my dear. My master wants you and I must comply. So lay down your weapon and stop resisting, else this girl and that woman over there will die before you can even lift a finger against me." A cruel smirk shone on Akihiro's face as he told her his demands.

"Just what does Tobi want from me? I have no interest in that bastard, only in his death."

"Such a nasty temper. I do not know nor do I care why my master wants you. But you will surrender now, or else..."

Akahana looked helplessly at the frightened child in Akihiro's grip, then at the semi conscious Misaki near her. She knew she couldn't let them die. But what would happen should she surrender herself to Tobi's pawns? What had that man planned for her?

"My patience is running out, Akahana."

She hesitated, she looked for an escape, for a chance, for anything. She desperately hoped that someone would come to help, that aid would arrive in the nick of time. For the first time she even wished that Arashi would show up to help her. But she was alone and Akihiro had the life of two others in his hand.

"I'm counting to three, if you don't surrender by then then you leave me with no choice but to kill these two and take you by force, Akahana." Akihiro said with false compassion in his voice, mockingly sounding as if he regretted the situation they were currently in. "One... two..."

Knowing the helplessness of her situation Akahana's grip on her sword lessened before it finally fell out of her hands and stuck in the ground before her. She couldn't fight on, not when it would cost the lives of two others. She didn't want to harm Honoka and Misaki, not two persons that she had formed some sort of connection with. And then there was the clan, no one would trust her again if she let those two die just to save herself... the situation was desperate. She had to resign herself to her fate for now, at least she would get close enough to Tobi that way. Maybe she could get a shot at killing him like this.

"Now that's a good girl." Akihiro spoke gleefully as his clones slowly moved towards Akahana, still watching her wearily for any sign of aggression from the girl. But there was none.

"Akahana! Don't..." Misaki said weakly from her place on the ground as she saw what was happening.

"I'm sorry... but I can't let others die for me... not again." Akahana whispered sadly before a punch from one of the clones knocked her unconscious.

"Finally I can leave this dreaded village. Send my regards to Toshiro, Misaki. If you live long enough that is." Akihiro said with a laugh before he grabbed Honoka tighter and started to run towards the walls with her, his clones that were carrying Akahana closely behind him.

* * *

At first Toshiro was worried. Worried that the village might be under attack and that their enemies had finally dared to openly challenge the village itself. But he was wrong. It wasn't an attack from the outside. No, once more it was an attack happening inside the village, an incident orchestrated by traitors from their own ranks.

When he arrived at the scene the battle had already ended, leaving only a devastated field, a dead man and a nearly dead Misaki behind.

"Search the area. If there are any more enemies in the immediate vicinity I want them found and eliminated asap." Toshiro barked at the shinobi around him. Not all of them were Uzumaki, but all listened to his orders none the less.

He quickly walked over to Misaki, a medic that had accompanied the investigation team already tending to her wounds at that moment.

"Uzumaki-sama, though I can seal the wound here and now, your daughter will have to be brought to the hospital quickly. I simply cannot say what inner wounds she might have received during her fight." The medic spoke quickly, his eyes never leaving his patient as he used a healing Jutsu on the wound in Misaki's chest.

"Hurry, don't waste any time. Misaki must not die!" Toshiro bellowed imperiously.

The medic signaled another shinobi to bring a stretcher so they could move Misaki without any risk of inflicting more damage to her. But the moment they tried to heave her onto it Misaki stopped them.

"Wait..." She said almost breathlessly as she looked towards Toshiro. "Tou-san..."

"Misaki, safe your strength now, we will talk later." Toshiro said soothingly as he crouched down next to her.

"No... you don't understand. He has them..."

"Who are you talking about?" Toshiro asked with a confused frown.

"That traitor Akihiro... he has Honoka and Akahana... the Uzukage was a fake, a puppet in the traitor's service..."

"What?" Toshiro exclaimed enraged. This just couldn't be happening right now. He was hard pressed to believe it, but he knew that Misaki has no reason to lie.

"It is my fault... I was careless and because of that the coward could capture Honoka and threaten Akahana..." Misaki said as some tears escaped her eyes.

"Calm now. We will get them back. I swear we will find them, Misaki. You will rest now and heal up and before you leave the hospital Akahana and Honoka will be back with us." Toshiro said honestly.

"Yes... tou-san..." Without further protest Misaki finally allowed the medic to take her away to the hospital, leaving a worried and angry Toshiro behind.

"Toshiro-sama!" Came a loud exclamation from a man not far from Toshiro's position. It was easy to recognize him, to Toshiro this man always stood out from the rest.

"Arashi, get here this instant!" Toshiro bellowed furiously. The man did not hesitate a moment and quickly ran to his leader's side.

"Yes, Toshiro-sama? How may I be of service? Can I help somewhere?"

"YOU! Just where have you been you idiot? Why were you not with your fiance?" Though he knew that it was wrong to vent his anger on Arashi, Toshiro couldn't help himself but to feel angry at the young man.

"Me? Well... I was at home... thinking... and..."

"Because no one was there to help them, my daughter nearly died and my granddaughter got kidnapped by those fucking traitors!" Toshiro yelled at Arashi loudly. Everyone around them heard what the Uzumaki Clan head had said and most of them were shocked to hear about Akahana's capture.

"They have Akahana?" Arashi asked with a look of worry on his face. "But how? She is really strong, just what has happened that caused her to be kidnapped?"

"That doesn't matter. They have my granddaughter. And they have little Honoka as well." Toshiro continued in his angry rage. "Get your team ready, Arashi. I want all of you out of this village before the hour ends. Bring back Akahana and Honoka." Toshiro ordered sternly, leaving no room for objection. "And bring me the head of that traitor Akihiro. I want his damn head on a pike!"

"As you command, Toshiro-sama." Arashi knew better then to argue with Toshiro when he was like this. No instead he quickly rushed to find all members of his team to retrieve those that had been taken from them. And to Arashi this was also a personal matter. No matter how he felt about it at the moment, Akahana was his fiance and he would be damned if he allowed anyone to kidnap her under his nose.


	11. The Hunt I

**Yes, I did it. Somehow I can't believe it. I have written a new chapter for this story, nearly half a year after I had finished the Whirlpool Arc. A lot has happened, I have deleted and completely reuploaded the story, I have changed many plans for the story and improved the planned plot. Ah there is so much to be done and so little time to do it. Anyways, have fun with this new chapter, the first part of the new Arc called 'The Hunt'.**

**Oh and just for those who wonder, currently there is no real winner for the poll. But the poll will be open for some more time, so there might be a decisive victor some day.**

* * *

The Hunt – Part I

"Akahana, it is time for you to go." An all too familiar voice said gruffly.

"As you wish, Danzo-sama." Akahana replied mechanically, as she looked at the heavily bandaged man before her.

"You must escape now, Tsunade's men are still busy with cleaning up the aftermath of that pathetic invasion. But they won't be distracted for long." Danzo said as he looked around, the street they were in at the moment all but abandoned at this late hour.

"Where do you wish me to go, Danzo-sama?"

"It doesn't matter. Do what you did with Kirigakure. Gain the trust of another village and collect as much intelligence as you can, until I order your return. But don't go back to Kiri, Tsunade will send her minions there first." What she wanted did not matter, only what her master wanted was important. She was his tool, his weapon. She wouldn't allow the new Hokage to change that.

"Go now and don't look back. I will call for you once the time is right." Danzo ordered sternly. With a wave of his hand he dismissed her. He did not like this, in fact he hated this situation. Because of that foolish woman he once more had to send his weapon away from the village she was supposed to serve. All because of Tsunade's foolish idealism.

"As you command, Danzo-sama. Farewell." Her voice showed little emotion, it was cold, accepting. But her eyes showed the sadness she felt, knowing that she had to leave Konoha so soon again. At thirteen years of age she was supposed to protect the village, a village that did not even want her. But she did it all, not for the villagers, but for the first man who had ever acknowledged her existence.

Without any further word she turned around and ran away, out of the ruined village, out of her current life. Once more she would leave everything behind. She ran and ran, knowing that Konoha would start the hunt for her soon. Even with Danzo-sama on her side, the new Hokage would try to have her recaptured as soon as she found out that she was missing. And she had a feeling that her escape was not as secret as she had wanted it to be.

* * *

For hours she ran through the night until she had finally reached a valley. For the first time since she had left Konoha, she allowed herself a moment to rest. Leaning against a tree she tried to catch her breath. Her mind was reeling with the question about her future. Where should she go now? Who would take her in?

It was that moment of silent contemplation that others had finally caught up to her. She had expected this to happen, but not this soon. But she wouldn't let herself be taken back. She wouldn't return to Konoha without Danzo-sama's orders.

"Akahana! The escape ends here." Came the loud exclamation of a boy who stood not far from her.

"So they sent you of all people. Is the Hokage unable to send any real shinobi, so she has to send children in her stead." Akahana replied coldly.

"Give up, Akahana. There is no escape. The Hokage wants to help you and..."

"Sasuke-kun!" Two more people joined them, a pink haired kunoichi and another black haired boy with pale skin.

"I am sorry, Sasuke, but I have different orders. I cannot return to Konoha at the moment."

"Akahana, I promised you that I would free you of your servitude to that man and I intend to keep that promise. You will no longer have to serve that man and you will stay with me, where you belong." Sasuke said vehemently.

Akahana frowned at Sasuke as she heard his words. "I told you before that I don't need to be freed. You claim that I am a slave of Danzo-sama, yet you want to force me to stay with you. You are a damn hypocrite. Leave now or else I will have to remove you by force."

"Don't you dare to talk to Sasuke-kun like that. First you steal him from us and force him to follow you to that battlefield in Kiri and now you betray our village. I hope that Tsunade-sama punishes you severely, you damn traitor." The kunoichi said scathingly as she stood next to Sasuke.

"You... you are a Haruno, are you not?" the other girl nodded slightly confused, "Isn't it kind of curious that the daughter of a traitor to the village now speaks such words. Be glad that the orders did only call for the execution of the traitorous civilian council members and not for their families' deaths as well." When Akahana saw the girls shocked face she continued. "What, don't tell me that you have already forgotten that night, seven years ago, when your mother was killed for her laughable attempt to leech more and more power from the Hokage."

"You..." The girl tried to say something in her shock, but she couldn't find the words.

"This is enough, Akahana. Give up and come with us. Don't force my hand." Sasuke said dangerously.

"No chance. Sai!" Akahana called out to the other black haired boy.

"Yes, Akahana-sama." He approached her until he stood next to her, now facing his own teammates. "Danzo-sama's orders are clear. You mustn't be caught." He said as he got battle ready.

"Sai, what are you doing?" Sasuke yelled in anger.

"Sorry, dickless, but my allegiance lies with Akahana-sama and Danzo-sama. You better leave." The pale boy said with a disconcerting smile.

"Another traitor then. So be it, I will defeat you both." Sasuke said with rage blazing in his eyes. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" With that the fight for Akahana's future had started, the giant fireball quickly approaching her.

The fireball came closer, the heat singing her skin, when...

Suddenly Akahana jerked awake. Her eyes wide open, beads of sweat on her forehead as she tried to get her breathing and heartbeat under control. She tried to wipe the sweat of her forehead with the back of her hand, but she couldn't move it. Neither could she move her other arm or legs.

_Right... that bastard has captured me... but why does that memory bother me now? I have never looked back ever since... _Akahana thought breathlessly as her dire situation became more apparent to her.

She looked around, seeing only a small fireplace, the dying remains of a fire leaving only a very dim light. She was in some room, but it was too dark to see more. There was only a small window, but nothing else. She realized that she was in deep trouble this time, though it wouldn't be the first time for her to have to escape from enemy captivity.

No one else was here, that much was clear. She was alone, but for how long? What would happen to her once her captor returned? And what has happened to Honoka?

A nearby door opened and a man stepped inside. A man that she knew all too well. The same damn mask, the same damn eye. The man that she had learned to despise more than the Kyubi, which had been the cause of her parents' death and her own misery. The man she despised more than any other enemy she had to face before. Tobi. But little did she know that this Tobi and the one she had killed were not even the same man...

"Good morning, Akahana-chan." He said with an almost childish voice, filled with glee. Just like in her own time he tried to infuriate her with his childish attitude.

"What do you want? Release me at once!" Akahana glared at the masked shinobi, but the man was unmoved by her actions.

"Release you? Now why would I do that? We had no time to play and I promise that Tobi will be such a good boy."

"Quit the act, you won't fool me with this poor acting."

"I see that you won't be willing to act at least civil. Very well then." He said with a sigh, the childish voice replaced with the cold sneer that Akahana had heard him use whenever he was very serious. "But make no mistake, you are in no position to argue with me."

"I am not afraid of dead men. Soon you will be dead. By my hand or the hand of one of my clansmen. I will make sure that you won't succeed with your plans!"

For a moment Tobi let go of his restraint and backhanded Akahana, hard, sending the handcuffed girl to the ground. "Insolence will be punished. Don't believe that you are something special, just because your are the heiress of a powerful clan. You will do as I tell you."

"I'd rather die than serve you, you vile monster." Akahana spat at the man, a small trail of blood running down from her split lip.

"That could be arranged, but I have different plans for now. I must admit that you intrigue me. More than any other person has ever intrigued me." Tobi said as he started pacing in front of the girl. "You are powerful, even for an Uzumaki. You obviously know about fighting and the sacrifices that have to be made. Don't try to deny it, I can see it in your eyes. You may look young, but your eyes betray your looks. Your soul has aged beyond your years, because of what you had to endure in the past." Though she couldn't see it, Akahana was sure that Tobi was smirking behind his mask. "We are very alike in that regard."

"We are not alike, you monster. I do not plan to kill countless people just to gain power!"

"Ah, yet another reason why you intrigue me so. How can it be that you, a girl that I have never met before, not just knows my name, but also knows about my ambitions. Just what are you? A seeress?" Again a childlike cackle escaped Tobi as he stared at Akahana with his only visible eye. "Someone like you will either be useful or a threat. I would be a fool to let you run around to do as you please."

"I will not help you!" Akahana said vehemently once more.

"We shall see, Akahana-chan, we shall see." With childish laughter he finally turned around and left the room.

Once more Akahana was alone in the room, wondering what would happen now. Had she revealed too much? Was that her mistake? Would her actions change the future for the worse now? She wanted to see Tobi dead. But now she was his captive and part of his plans... she had to find a way to escape. Now more than ever.

* * *

Jiraiya slowly ascended the stairs of the building, he steps heavy, slow, since he dreaded what he had to do now. But his orders were clear. Last night Uzushio had become a battlefield once more. Infighting between Uzushio shinobi and traitors had once more shocked all people in the village. He didn't know the details, but he knew what he had to do now.

He had received the orders from Konoha only the day before. Should there be another incident in Uzushio he would have to lead the Konoha group back home. They wouldn't finish the Chunin Exams in this village. The risk of getting involved with Uzushio's endless war was too great. The alliance between the Leaf and Whirlpool was shaky at best, there was no chance that the Hokage and his council would sanction any intervention in the war. Konoha couldn't risk it with Iwa preparing for war at the border to Kusa.

Jiraiya knocked briefly on the door before he entered the office of the Uzukage. No one was there to stop him anyways. People were running around in a tumultuous chaos. The hunt for traitors inside the village had reached its peak as it seemed. But even should they succeed, it was too late now.

"What is it? I'm busy, if this isn't important, then you better leave now!" Someone barked from the desk at the other end of the office.

"Uzumaki-sama, what are you doing here? I thought this is the Uzukage's office..." Jiraiya said in confusion.

"As of last night I am acting Uzukage." Toshiro said with a tired sigh. "The Nidaime has been dead for a long time as it seems."

"I don't understand... what has happened last night?"

"The traitors have been exposed last night. One of them was a puppeteer that impersonated the Uzukage. We all have been fooled for a long time. But thanks to Akahana we are now free from his influence."

"Somehow I am not surprised that it was her. Seeing her always gave me the impression that she would somehow leave an impression on this world. She has this air of mysticism around her that only few people ever possess." Jiraiya said honestly as he walked over to the desk and sat down on a chair.

"Yet she was not able to defeat all of them. She was pressured into surrendering and has been captured by the fleeing enemies." Bitterness was oozing from every word. Toshiro was not happy with the situation. Akahana was the future of his family, her actions the last night would finally help her overcome the distrust of most clan members. But the price she had to pay for that... He needed to get her back. Toshiro wouldn't allow for any member of his family to be hurt if he could help preventing it.

"This is... unexpected..." Jiraiya said in surprise, his eyes wide. From what he had seen and from his own confrontation with the girl he knew that she was exceptionally powerful and skilled for someone so young.

"Enough of this. We both know that our villages are only allies on the paper, I will not divulge anything else." Toshiro said sternly, a determined look on his face. "Why are you here? You must have had a reason for your visit."

"Yes..." Suddenly Jiraiya felt very uncomfortable. Toshiro Uzumaki was a rather intimidating man, even despite, or maybe because of his high age. A man that had seen as much as the Sandaime Hokage and fought in even more conflicts. A man with a temper that was feared by many. "Unfortunately I have to announce that the Konoha delegation will leave today. Our village has ordered us to return should any more incidents happen during our stay... the fighting last night was the last straw. I'm sorry."

"No you're not. You are not sorry in the slightest." Toshiro cursed. "Just leave my village. We don't need Konoha. You never treated us like an ally, but you always expected help from us whenever you needed it. I am neither the idealist that my father was, nor am I as foolish and trusting as his successor was. Just go and tell your Hokage that I won't forget all the times Konoha has slighted us."

"You know why Konoha has not intervened in this war." Jiraiya said defensively. "Our own village is on the brink of war once more. Iwa is practically waiting for a reason to declare war on us. We cannot fight your war and our own. Konoha wouldn't survive that!"

"Things have never been just about the war. But this talking will change nothing. Just go, I have more important things to think about. My village and my family come first now. Especially the welfare of my granddaughters."

"You do know that Kushina will have to return to Konoha..."

"And you better keep her safe. Or else you will find out why two villages were not enough to best us for the last two decades!" Toshiro said hotly. "Keep my granddaughter safe."

"And Akahana-san?"

"That is nothing you should worry about. I have already sent out my men to get her back."

"Still, if I find out anything of use, I will send you the information." Jiraiya said as he stood up.

"And why would you do that?" Toshiro asked with distrust.

"For Kushina's sake... and for Akahana. Somehow I believe that it will benefit all of us to see her safe." Jiraiya replied before he left the office.

Toshiro glared at the closed door for some more time. He knew that he shouldn't blame Jiraiya for the decisions of his superiors, but right now he needed an outlet for his anger. Anger that he was unable to protect his family... again he had failed. One granddaughter kidnapped, the other forced to fight for another village for the sake of a worthless alliance. He had failed, there was no denying it.

* * *

Hours went by. Slowly. Almost agonizingly slow. By now Akahana had given up her attempts to get rid of whatever kept her wrist tied closely together. She just couldn't get her hands free. But at least she managed to get up and walk around a bit. Not that it had done her any good. She was captured in a small room with only a small window and no other openings, except the one door that lead into the room itself.

But suddenly she heard something. A small scratching sound, coming from outside of the window. She hurried over to the opening, hope rising that someone might have managed to follow her and the traitors. Suddenly she saw two furry ears, which looked oddly familiar. Someone was trying to climb the wall, without much success.

"Kurou, is that you?"Akahana whispered cautiously. She didn't want Tobi or any of his current servants to find out. Maybe this was her chance to escape.

"Akahana-hime! I can't get up to the window. Damn this small form! I want to grow up dammit." Kurou muttered outside.

"Psst. Be silent, we don't want others to find out about your presence." For a moment she looked towards the door, fearful that Tobi might return just right this moment. But no one came and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Akahana-hime, summon me to you. I can't enter on my own..."

"Stupid fox, do you think I would still be in here if I could use my hands. I am enchained."

Kurou grumbled something that Akahana couldn't quite understand, but it didn't sound very nice. "What was that? You better think of some way to get me out of here, Kurou!"

"Damn humans. Kyubi-sama was right, you are a reckless one. I'm away for a day to look around that village and you manage to get yourself kidnapped."

"Do you think this is my idea of fun? I had no choice. Now stop babbling and do something..."

"I'm a fox, not a damn breakout tool."

"Than go and find help. But be quick. I don't know when Tobi will be back. He might try to take me somewhere else soon." For a moment Akahana wondered whether there was anyone searching for her. She was still a stranger to most people of this time line. Only a few people even cared about what might happen to her... she hoped that the Uzumaki had at least sent someone to find Honoka...

"I will hurry. Kyubi-sama would eat me alive if I let anything happen to you. Especially with that man involved!" A rustling later it was silent again. Kurou was gone. Akahana could only pray that the little fox would find someone willing to help her... and someone strong enough to survive an encounter with Tobi...

* * *

"Sensei?" Minato asked curiously as he followed Jiraiya through the streets of Uzushio. Moments before the Sannin had announced their departure from the village. But now they were walking through the streets on some very important errand.

"What, Minato?" Jiraiya asked courtly. Oh he wasn't looking forward to what he had to do now.

"Where are we going? I thought we are leaving."

"We are. But one of our numbers is still unaccounted for. But I know exactly where we can find her." Oh and how he currently despised the girls own Sensei. That damn Hyuuga had the guts to shirk this duty, all because he believes that Jiraiya, as the leader of their group, should do such things.

There was no need for Minato to ask who his Sensei was looking for. It was easy enough to connect the dots. They were on their way to find Kushina... and to take her away from here... away from her family. He didn't like it, but he had volunteered to come along and he wouldn't let his Sensei down now.

When they finally reached their destination Minato looked questioningly at Jiraiya. "The hospital, Sensei? Is she hurt or something?"

"Just be quiet and follow me, Minato. Just don't say anything that might make her angry. This will be hard enough as it is." Jiraiya said with a weary sigh.

Jiraiya walked ahead, asking a passing nurse something, before he lead Minato upstairs and through the corridors until they reached a hallway that was guarded by several redheaded shinobi. The shinobi narrowed their eyes slightly as Jiraiya passed them. They knew why he was here. It was obvious. They did not like it in the slightest, after all Kushina was the granddaughter of their clan head.

Just as they arrived, a door opened and Kushina stepped out of one of the rooms. She looked tired and worried, lacking her usual cheerful and energetic self. Minato had seen her sad before, every time some of the other people in Konoha treated her badly because of her being a foreigner. But he had never before seen her like this. So worried, so... defeated.

At first she did not acknowledge Jiraiya and Minato, not until the she nearly bumped into them. But then another emotion entered her eyes. Defiance.

"How is she?" Jiraiya asked calmly, almost inaudibly.

"She is sleeping... so far she hasn't woken up since they have brought her here..." Kushina said quietly. Minato looked confused between the two, not understanding what they were talking about? Had something bad happened? Someone they both knew was inside that room, that much was obvious. But who was it? Was it Akahana, Kushina's older sister? It would make sense, Minato had not seen her at all in the last few days.

"You know why we are here, Kushina. It's time..."

"NO!" Kushina countered loudly, her face now outraged. "I will not leave now. Not when my mother is in hospital and my sister has been kidnapped! Do what you want, but you can't take me from here. I won't allow it!"

"Kushina, this is not possible. All of us are leaving today. We have to return to Konoha, the Hokage has ordered it." Jiraiya said with more vehemence, though he tried his best to remain level-headed. He could understand her, but he had his orders. His own Sensei counted on him to do what was necessary.

"Kushina-chan, we can go home now. We..." Minato said, but he was soon interrupted.

"Shut up! This is my home. This is where my family is! Konoha never wanted me, you people treat me like an unwanted stranger, even though I have lived in your village for years now! First you come and take me away from my family without telling me anything and now you want to steal me from here again. I won't allow it! My family won't allow it."

"KUSHINA! This is enough." Jiraiya said sternly. "You are a kunoichi of the Leaf. It is your duty to return to Konoha, your home." Somehow he didn't believe his own words. He just couldn't e the stern teacher type. This just wasn't like him.

"My family won't allow you to take me away from here against my will! Just go back to your village and leave me in peace." She took her Leaf hitai-ate and threw it at Jiraiya's feet in her anger. Minato gasped in shock, not believing what he saw. He could understand that she wanted to be with her family in the current situation, but this reaction...

"Kushina-chan..."

"Don't you dare call me that. You are just like the rest of those people in Konoha. No one there cares for me, so just leave me alone."

"Kushina, this is enough." Jiraiya repeated again. "You have no choice here. We both know why Konoha cannot let you go." He looked imploringly at her. Of course Kushina knew what was talking about. The fox...

"You will have to take me by force then." Kushina said determinedly. "And be sure that my clan will not let that happen. Not after what had happened last night."

Jiraiya looked distressed by what she had said, much to Minato's surprise. Jiraiya knew that Kushina was right. Toshiro Uzumaki was pissed enough as it is. He would not sit by idly while his granddaughter is being forced to leave Uzushio against her will. Not after his only other grandchild had just been kidnapped by traitors... This wouldn't end well.

"You are aware that your actions will end the alliance between Konoha and Uzushio? Uzushio will loose its last real ally, all because of your stubbornness. Konoha might not participate in this war, but our alliance at least keeps any other villages from joining the fray. Can you allow that to happen, all for your own sake?"

Kushina hesitated for a moment. In her anger she had not thought about what this might mean for her clan and the village... a fight would end the alliance for good, that much was sure... that would also completely cut off any escape routes for her people, should Uzushio fall...

"I..." Tear slipped down her cheeks, her words stopped by a sob. She looked at the door that lead to her mothers room. "You leave me with no choice... you damn me to a life in solitude..." She slowly started walking, passing Jiraiya on her way. "At least let me say good bye to my grandfather for one last time..." _I may never seen him again... _ She added sadly in her thoughts. Jiraiya nodded grimly before he followed her. Somehow he did not even dare to pick up her hitai-ate. He was just glad that she would come somewhat peacefully. But he still hated himself for this. Another regret to add to a list that just got longer every single day of his life.

Minato stayed a moment longer, trying to make sense of all that he had seen and heard just now. He knew that Kushina was originally from Uzushio, but he had no idea how important she apparently was for the alliance between their villages... Neither did he know how lonely she must have felt in Konoha all the time. He vowed to himself to change that. To show her that she is not alone in Konoha. He quickly pocketed her hitai-ate, before he ran after his Sensei and the young Uzumaki girl.

* * *

Arashi cursed for umpteenth time this day. How things could have gotten this far out of his control... he did not know how. The last few days had been a non stop headache. First the kidnapping of a child, than the appearance of another bastard child, his fight against Akahana on the river, the fight against that strange Tobi guy... One unexpected event after another. No time to breath. He still felt like someone had hit him in the guts, when he thought about the moment, when the clan elders told him about his betrothal to Akahana... and now his new fiance had been kidnapped by some traitors. To him this was all just like a very bad dream, some alcohol induced hallucination. But it was true and now he and his team raced through the land on their search for Akahana.

"Arashi, this is bullshit. We don't even know where the traitors went after they left the island. This is a waste of time." One of the other Uzumaki said with a grim look.

"Don't you think I know that, Naoki? I know that we have absolutely no clue whatsoever, but I won't turn around now." Arashi barked angrily.

"They have two from our clan, Naoki. We can't just let that slide." The only female member of their group said with a thoughtful look.

"A child and that bastard..."

"Just shut up, Naoki. No matter her past, Akahana is my fiance now and I will get her back." Arashi said. There was no other way for him, but to accept the situation as it is. When both the clan elders and Toshiro-sama were convinced that their marriage would be for the better of the clan, than he would do it. But first he would have to free her from whoever had her now.

"Ah, so cute. She must have left a bigger impression on you than we thought at first. Has something happened after your fight against that Akahana girl?"

"Hotaru, shut up. I need to think." Arashi said, followed by an annoyed sigh. The girl merely smirked serenely at him.

"Toshiro-sama would so kick his ass, should he fail to bring back his granddaughter." Naoki stated stoically. "But there is no chance that we will find her now. The trail is cold. We messed up, deal with it."

"Oww, look, a fox kit. Isn't it cute." Hotaru said with a smile as she walked over to the animal she had spotted.

"Be careful, Hotaru. Maybe it has rabies." Naoki said, as he looked at the animal with disdain.

"I'll show you rabies, you damn moron." The fox suddenly said.

"It... talks..." Hotaru said dumbfounded.

"Hey, I know this little pest. Your Akahana's pet!" Arashi said as he quickly walked over to Kurou.

"I am not a damn pet, I am a summon."

"Whatever. You must know where Akahana is! Tell me, where is she?" Arashi demanded to know.

"Yes, I know where she is. Want your mate back so badly, huh." Kurou replied with what must have been a feral grin for a fox. Hotaru laughed when she heard that, the two others though remained unimpressed by the words of the fox.

"Where is she?" Arashi demanded again.

"Follow me. I can lead you to her, but be careful. He captor is not an enemy to be trifled with. And I can only lead you to Akahana-hime, where the other girl is I don't know."

"Do it, lead us to Akahana. Once she is free we all can search for Honoka and kill those traitors."

Kurou showed another grin that revealed all his sharp teeth, before he quickly ran into the direction he had come from. He could feel it, Akahana was still there. But for how long? The little fox could not even guess what Tobi had planed for the girl.

* * *

**A/N: And done. The first chapter after a long time. I still have a lot of ideas for plots and characters, no need to worry about future updates.**

**I started this story with a small memory from Akahana, something to shed some light on her past. I'm sure all of you know when exactly this scene has happened. Shortly after the failed Oto Invansion. But instead of Sasuke running off to the snake-pedo, Akahana is sent away from Konoha to keep her out of Tsunade's influence. The Sasuke in this part of the story is also slightly different from his cannon counterpart. He and Akahana went through many different adventures in Kiri, but that is a topic for later chapters. Many more things will be revealed later in memories or when people talk about it and so on. A bit like in canon, the past will be a topic again and again.**

**The next thing I want to say is maybe a Spoiler for some people, so if you don't know about Tobi's real identity you should not read on from here:**

_I am well aware who Tobi really was in canon. When I started this story this was still a secret. In the current timeline Obito and his later teammates are still very very young, so of course he cannot be Tobi yet. But Madara is still around, so the Tobi in this story is the cover identity of Madara, who still seeks power and an ally like he later found one in Obito._

**Jiraiya played a big role in this chapter. I have to say he is probably my favorite character in the entire Naruto-verse. He was introduced as a pervert who wrote smut to earn money, but in fact he is one of the most complex characters in the entire canon storyline. A man who had seen so much, fought in two wars and survived where others have not. His unrequited love for his teammate and the way he found a family of sorts with his student Minato. Jiraiya had lost everything in his life, but never given up entirely. He hid much under the guise of the super-pervert, but it only adds to his character. In this story he is not yet as damaged as in canon, he is not fully hiding his regrets under the aforementioned guise. In a way he can relate to Akahana in a way that only others can. Perfect candidate for a trusted friend and confidant.**

**Well of course Kushina wouldn't be happy about leaving Uzushio. Her mother is in hospital and has not yet woken up to talk to her daughter, her sister has been kidnapped and she has to go back to a village where she was not happy. Things sure are bad for her at the moment.**

**And last, but not least, Arashi and his team. Arashi, Hotaru and Naoki, teammates for the majority of their lives as shinobi. All three will be recurring characters for some time, not just this arc, so you will learn more about them. I'm am quite surprised that there are so many people actually preferring a real relationship between Arashi and Akahana. I would have expected more people to prefer a Akahana/Jiraiya pairing.**

**Oh man, I've written far more in this A/N than I actually wanted, but oh well, this all had to be told. I will write less in future chapters. But until then, have fun and hopefully see you all next time.**


	12. The Hunt II

**Hola,**

**Today I can give you all a very short update for this story. My time is still limited, so I decided to keep the chapters shorter, so I can update on a more regular basis. Though I prefer to write at least 5-6000 words per chapter, I will now publish chapters with half that length until I have enough free time to write long chapters. Else I would only be able to update once every 1-2 months. So this is a very very short chapter, don't be angry with me because of that.**

**And of course I want to thank my Reviewers. Thirteen new Reviews for the last chapter, much more than I had expected considering the number of views per chapter. Something I really want to mention here, because it really made me laugh. I received a PM the day I uploaded the last chapter. One 'person' felt the need to tell me that 'though he liked the first chapter, he will not continue to read my story. It has so few followers that it must suck.' Well can't argue with that kind of logic. Sometimes I wonder wether I should just deactivate PMs, but at least some are really amusing.**

**Well enough said for now, enjoy the chapter...**

* * *

The Hunt – Part II

"We had a deal!" Akihiro yelled in outrage. "You swore to give me the child, so I can bring her to my village. You have the one you wanted, give me what is rightfully mine."

"Things have changed. I saw need to change the conditions of our agreements. Pray that I won't alter them any further." Tobi said menacingly as he stalked through the compound he currently occupied. He had other things to think about, other problems that needed to be solved. Akihiro was just an insect. Unimportant to the overall plan. But the girl in his custody... She was a different case all together.

"You betray me, after all I have sacrificed for you? I won't..." His words died in his throat when Tobi grabbed him by the throat and smashed him against a nearby wall.

"You will do as I tell you. Make yourself useful or you will become expendable. And you know what I do to expendable people." Tobi hissed, his only visible Sharingan spinning wildly in his eye. Akihiro merely gulped before he nodded dumbly. He had seen what this monster was capable of. He would be a fool to fight him openly. No, for the moment he would comply... but once Tobi would show a single moment of inattentiveness...

"Go now. Check the security of the compound, I do not wish to be interrupted by unannounced visitors."

"Those Uzumaki won't be able to send anyone after us. I was careful enough to leave no traces. And their village will be hardly in any condition to send someone to search for the two girls. Not to mention that no one will be willing to search for either of them." Akihiro stated arrogantly.

"Do as you are told. Now get out of my sight."

Akihiro quickly hurried off, leaving Tobi alone with his thoughts. The masked man entered the building through the next door, steeping through a dark room, before he reached a heavily barricaded door. Inside the room behind this door was the one person that currently occupied his mind.

"Greetings, Akahana, you have calmed down I hope. It would be such a pity, would you force my hand again." Tobi said, as he looked at the girl that sat underneath the small window. But Akahana ignored him, her eyes closed, as she tried to meditate. "Ignoring me won't do you any god, girl."

"I am not ignoring you, I just don't have anything to say to you." Akahana replied calmly.

"Oh, you will talk. They all talk... eventually." A sinister cackle escaped the masked man as he fully entered the room and closed the door behind himself.

* * *

After hours of traveling, the group finally stopped. A break to rest up. After this they would not stop until they had returned to Konoha. Kushina had not said a single word to anyone. She had barely acknowledged her Sensei and teammates either. Inside she was still seething. Should wouldn't let go of this anger she felt. But who exactly she was angry at... she did not know it.

Minato watched the young Uzumaki girl with worry as he sat next to Jiraiya, who was busy writing on a small scroll. "Sensei, shouldn't we do something?"

"What do you mean, Minato? We need some time to rest, before we continue our journey. If our lucks holds, we will be in Konoha before nightfall." Jiraiya answered without looking up.

"I mean about Kushina. She does not talk to anyone, she does not acknowledge any of us. She is just so..."

"Angry?" Jiraiya supplied with a worried tone.

"Bitter... I know we had to leave, but was it really necessary to force her to leave her home on such short notice?"

"Minato, the day will come when you will be in a position, where you will have to make difficult decisions. The Hokage made the decision to pull us out of Uzushio. A hard decision that has put a lot of strain on our alliance with Uzushiogakure. I made the decision to force Kushina to come with us. Again it was not a decision that has been made lightly." Jiraiya said, a hand now on his student's shoulder.

"But why force her? I mean, why force one Genin to leave her home?"

"She is important to Konoha, that is all I can say about this. One day you might learn the truth and then you will understand. Until then I ask you to trust me. I made the necessary decision." Minato listened with rapt attention to his Sensei, trying to understand what Jiraiya tried to convey. But there was some big secret about Kushina, something no one was allowed to know. It fueled his curiosity, but he also understood that prying for information would not be wise. For now at least.

"But we should not let her alone with her feelings. Just like she said, she will be all alone once we are back in Konoha. Someone should look out for her."

"I will talk to the Hokage, he will know what to do." Jiraiya said determined. "And then I will find myself a bar and drink sake until I can't think straight."

"You really shouldn't drink, Sensei."

"Ah, you should try it, too. There is nothing that helps better than a nice cup of Sake and a night with a good woman." Jiraiya said with a smirk.

"Sensei, I am only thirteen..."

"Old enough to kill, but not old enough to drink?"

"I really think we should stop talking now..." Minato said with a funny look. He appreciated his Sensei's attempt to distract him, but he really did not want to start arguing with Jiraiya about what he should and should not do at his age.

Kushina had not even realized that someone had talked about her. She knew that her current mood did nothing to improve the opinion that her fellow Genin had of her, but she did not care. She did not want them to accept her. She wanted to be with her family, to help free her sister. To be there when her mother woke up again and help her until she was fully healed. But none of that was allowed. No, she had to return to a place where she was unloved, unaccepted.

_'I should run. Just wait for them going to sleep and leave. Most people wouldn't care, even should they see me leave. I would be too far away for them to capture me before they would even find out about it...' _Kushina thought darkly.

_'They will notice. They will capture you and imprison you unless you fight.' _A dark voice growled in her mind. _'Why not make them suffer for treating you like a prisoner. In Konoha you will never be free unless you fight for your freedom.'_

_'No! I...'_

_'You are weak, but that does not have to be. I can give you the strength you need. You just have to release my power.' _The voice sounded seductive, the promise of power sounding very alluring to her. The power to regain her freedom, the power to go and help her sister.

_'You... you are... Kyubi!'_

_'My power. Use it. Use it to free yourself. To free the both of us from the Leaf!' _The demon's voice boomed inside her mind now.

_'No. I won't release you! You would kill me and everyone dear to me. You... you cannot be trusted!' _Kushina thought. She felt more distressed with every moment that passed now. What would happen when the demon escaped? Would she die? What would the demon do? But she was especially worried what the Konoha shinobi would do to her, should they find out that the demon talks to her all of a sudden.

_'Petulant child. Free me and I promise not to harm you and those of your blood. My vengeance lies with Konoha and the Uchiha Clan. They will suffer!' _The demon growled angrily.

_'Forget it. You never tell the truth. You will break your word the moment you leave the seal. Begone. Back into the depths of the seal.'_

_'Foolish girl. You will give in. Soon I will be free and then I will have my revenge. With or without your help. Those Leaf shinobi deserve only death.' _Kyubi growled one last time, before its presence in Kushina's mind disappeared.

_'The people of Konoha...' _She knew that she did not belong to that group. She had tried to fit in. But it was all futile. She would never be one of them. But that did not mean that she wanted them to die... all she wants is to return home, her true home.

* * *

Akahana was breathing heavily, as Tobi slowly backed away from her. She was kneeling in the center of the room, her breathing labored, her body aching. She did not know for how long he had been in this room with her, but she knew that her enemy had not received the information he wanted. With grim satisfaction she allowed herself to smirk, something that displeased Tobi even more.

"Stubborn wench. I must admit that I am... impressed by your ability to resist my Tsukuyomi. Most others would have gone insane by now. But you will not last much longer, that I can assure you. You better start telling me what I want to know." Tobi said with an almost gleeful voice. He couldn't help himself but admire Akahana's strength, she was a challenge, even to him.

"Just take your damn Sharingan and stick it where the sun does not shine, Uchiha scum. I won't bow to you, I won't tell you anything. You cannot break me." Akahana replied venomously.

"We shall see about that." He replied confidently. He knew he would have to try something different now. Forcing her to answer had not worked, other ways would not fail him though. "You must have suffered much in the past, to be able to endure this much punishment. Tell me girl, what have you seen in your past? Have you seen how your family was murdered? The loss of a friend, a lover perhaps?" Akahana remained silent, a defiant look on her face. "Silence is also an answer. Your eyes betray you. So you have lost important people... through betrayal?" He merely looked at her, it was enough to get his answer. She tried to look away from him, but he forcefully grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "Yes. You have been betrayed. By someone you trusted. We are alike in that regard."

"We are not alike. I only kill to protect others. You kill just to justify your sick perception of good and evil. You only serve yourself, I..."

"You are a slave. One girl that has been forced to fight and die for the sake of others. Oh believe me, I've heard about that whole mentor story. A weapon, what a befitting way to describe you. Deadly beautiful and yet so severely limited to one task. They have taken your humanity, so you would serve them, am I right?"

"Don't..." His sudden change disturbed her. His questions and rather accurate conclusions had thrown her off balance.

"No. You are more than just a weapon. I must admit, that the man who raised you was very cunning. He told you that you are merely his weapon, but he left you with your emotions and convictions. You served him loyally without being forced to." Tobi let go of her chin and started pacing around her, a chuckle escaping him every now and then. "A perfect weapon, one that can never be used against him. Or so he thought. You desire to be more, do you not?"

"Don't talk as if you know me, Tobi. You know nothing." Akahana said darkly as her eyes followed the masked man through the room. A cold shiver went down her spine as Tobi's fingers touched her neck briefly. What he intended with that... she had no idea.

"I may not know much about your past, but I understand you like no else can possibly ever hope to. You are like me. Born and raised to fight, a true shinobi. We felt the painful sting of betrayal, the heartrending feeling of loosing someone dear to us. And just like I understand you, you can understand me." He finally stopped pacing in front of her. "Just think about what the two of us could achieve. Together we can change this world, make sure that no one will ever have to suffer through the same life that we have been forced to live."

"I would rather die, than join you." Akahana spat out.

"You will change your decision soon, Akahana." Tobi said with a sickly sweet voice, as he grasped his mask with one hand and pulled it off. "You and I will have our revenge on those who have wronged us, when we bring eternal peace to this world. Our power and your apparent knowledge of the future will help us succeed." He looked intently at her, now with both of his eyes revealed. He scrutinized her closely.

"Never. I will never work with you..." Her raving was suddenly stopped when she saw Tobi without his mask. This man... he wasn't the Tobi she remembered. It wasn't the Tobi from her time. No, this was a different person. An older man she had only seen as a walking corpse after his resurrection. "Madara Uchiha..." She mumbled with disbelief.

"So you already know me. This will make our partnership much easier, Akahana. Do not worry, soon you will see things my way. I will make sure of that." Tobi said as he turned to leave. He put his mask back on before he opened the door. "I shall return later, so we can continue our little chat." He chuckled as he walked out and closed the door behind him. He had no doubts that he had finally found something he had been searching for years. Someone like himself.

* * *

Not far from the compound, a small group of shinobi had arrived. Three members of the Uzumaki Clan, that had come to save their clansmen from their captivity. Lead by a small fox they had found this hidden place, hoping that it was not too late yet.

"This is the place?" Arashi asked, as he watched the compound in front of his group. They were still hidden from view, but the night would come soon and then they would strike.

"Yes, yes. She is here. Akahana-hime is inside this place. But so is her captor, the one you know as Tobi." Kurou answered snappishly. "Be careful that you actually save her without embarrassing yourself in front of your mate."

Hotaru laughed lightly when she heard the fox' words. The little summon amused her greatly, a nice distraction before a very dangerous fight that could possibly be her last. Naoki next to her remained stoic, his eyes fixed on the compound and its perimeter.

"We should attack soon, Arashi. The sun is already going down, but waiting until we have complete darkness also means to risk being found prematurely. We must surprise them or else we will fail." Naoki said calmly.

"I know, I know. Just a little longer."

"We should better not mess up or else death will be the most preferable fate. I don't want to incur Toshiro-sama's wrath because we failed to safe his granddaughter." Hotaru said lightly. Though it was most likely meant as a joke, none of the three had any doubts that their clan head would be extremely angry, should they return without Akahana.

"We will not fail. Now shut up and wait for my sign. We will strike soon." Arashi ordered sternly as he watched the main gate of the compound. He had no intention to fail. This wasn't just about Akahana for him. This was about the honor of his clan. To find and destroy the traitors and to save the fiance that had been stolen from him. Forced betrothal or not, no one would get away with offending him like this.

* * *

**A/N: Yep, it was really that short. Don't worry the next chapter will be longer. I merely released this now to fill the gap until the next chapter and to shed some light on Tobi's plans with Akahana.**

**Both sisters now have to face their own demons. Kushina has the orange fuzzball to worry about and Akahana is still Tobi's guest of honor. Whether Kyubi and Tobi will succeed... well you will have to wait for that. But just to make sure that everyone understands it, Tobi's plans with Akahana are purely platonical. No romantic relationships or any such thing. This Tobi is actually Madara and in this time Madara is already a old man, well not that old, somewhere in his fifties, but by far too old to consider a relationship with a eighteen year old girl. So sorry, no chance for a Akahana/Madara pairing.**

**Well that is all for today. The next chapter will come out soon. As I have already mentioned, the chapters will be shorter, so I can update more often. Until next time, hope to see you all again...**


	13. The Hunt III

**Hi, just as I had promised, here is another short chapter. But before the story goes on, I want to thank all those who have reviewed my stories. I am truly grateful that there are people who like my story, despite it's rather unique setting and the lack of a blond fool in orange, kill me on sight, clothing^^**

**One thing I want to state at the beginning though. I have renamed one of Arashi's teammates. His female teammate is no longer called Akane, instead I have chosen the name Hotaru and replaced the name in all previous chapters. Why change it, some might ask. Well I kind of disliked that there were so many characters with a name that started with A. And I really prefer the meaning of the name Hotaru, it fits the character better than Akane anyway. Never forget, I choose names that fit the character and not just random names from other mangas or tv-shows.**

**Well then, let us continue...**

* * *

The Hunt – Part III

"What is taking him this long?" A blonde woman said, as she paced restlessly through the cave they were currently hiding in. "You said he would be here as fast as he could. Where is he?"

Akahana looked slightly worried at the entrance of the cave, her hopes still high, that he would come like he had promised he would. "I don't know, Yugito. He gave me his word that he would help me when I would need him. But that was a few years ago, after the war for Kirigakure." She said slightly subdued. "But he is a man of his word, no matter what his reputation says."

"Let's hope you are right. We need help to get back to Kumo asap. The Raikage needs to hear about what we have found." Yugito finally stopped pacing. She closed her eyes for a moment in concentration, before she opened them again, this time narrowed at the cave entrance. "Someone is coming, Akahana."

"That has to be him."

"No excuse for being careless. Arm yourself." Yugito ordered the younger girl. She had taken out her own Kunai, holding it reversed, so it could not be seen that easily by any newcomer. Akahana quickly copied her action, though with less fervor. She knew she was right, she knew that it was him.

A few moments later a tall man entered the cave. He carried himself with an obvious arrogance, a self-assured gait making him look downright cocky. Though most of his face was hidden behind bandages, his eyes were clearly showing his firm believe in his own superiority. There was no need for him to have his weapon in hand, no the large cleaver looked just as menacing on his back.

"Zabuza-sensei, you are here!" Akahana said with a relieved sigh. "We thought you wouldn't come."

"When have I ever shied back from a challenge, gaki?" The man said with a snort. "And who is that blonde friend of yours? Finally ditched that foolish Uchiha?"

"This is Yugito Nii, my current teacher and partner. We fight together in this war, you can trust her like you trust me." Akahana assured Zabuza calmly. It had been a few years, but her old Kenjutsu teacher looked just as strong and battle ready as he did back then.

"Kumo, pah..." Zabuza said derisively as he saw the hitai-ate on Yugito's forehead. "What, you as well?" He added as he saw a similar piece of metal on a sash around Akahana's waist. "And here I thought you couldn't get any lower than the Leaf."

"Everything has a reason. I couldn't stay in Konoha. Kumo is my home now." '_At least for some time' _She added in her mind. One word from her true master and she would be back by his side, though it would be hard for her to leave Yugito and Bee behind... she had grown close to her fellow Jinchuriki.

"Whatever." Zabuza said derisively. "Why have you called me? We did not expect you back, especially not after Konoha swarmed our country with their spies trying to find you."

"We..." Akahana gestured towards Yugito and herself, "... need your help."

"Obviously." Zabuza snorted, much to Yugito's rising ire.

"We need to get back to Kumo as quickly as possible. But as you said, Water country is full of spies, both from Konoha and our common foe. The Akatsuki want both of us for reasons I can't share, but it would not end pretty, that much I can assure you. And you can guess fairly easy why I wish to avoid those Konoha spies."

"And why do you come to me? You should have tried Mei, she is Mizukage because of you, she would have helped you." He sounded slightly angry about that last part. Akahana could only guess that he was still upset about the time when she supported Mei's claim when the shinobi of Kiri elected a new leader.

"I'm asking you, because you still owe me, Sensei. I may not have allowed you to become Mizukage, but I still saved your live three times. You owe me something and now I am collecting that debt." Akahana said, as she glared at the man.

Zabuza mumbled something to himself, but neither Akahana nor Yugito could properly understand him. "Why exactly do you have to get back to Kumo this quickly? You can get home by yourself, it will just take some weeks of dodging your enemies."

"We don't have weeks. We found out something very important." Akahana said.

"And that would be?" Zabuza asked. Yugito glared at Akahana, silently ordering her not to tell this man anything of value. And indeed Akahana was struggling with herself, not knowing how much she should trust this man with. She trusted him to a degree, but some information were to important to be shared, not even with friends.

"We found out the true identity of our enemy." Akahana admitted finally. "But we can't say anything else. Please don't press for any more information, this is all I can tell you."

"Give me some moments to ponder my answer." Zabuza said curtly, before he turned around and left the cave for a moment.

"This is the man you were talking about?" Yugito hissed at Akahana. "He's an asshole, how can you trust him?"

"I admit he isn't the most friendly person you will ever meet, but in a battle he will have your back as long as you fight for the same side. He and I have been through much during the civil war. He taught me everything I know about Kenjutsu and many things about Water Manipulation."

"He still is an asshole." Yugito said with a huff. "Better hope he has not run off like a coward."

"I am still here, that I can assure you." Zabuza's booming voice once more filled the cave as he came back.

"So you have made a decision?"

"That I have. You know, Akahana, Haku really liked you. He liked you so much, he actually was happy that he could die to keep you safe." Zabuza said with a grave voice. He looked coldly at the red-haired girl, his fists clenched tightly. "Sadly for you, I don't share this sentiment. I will not die for your sake and neither will I allow my country to suffer because of you."

"Zabuza-sensei, what is the meaning of this?"

"He means that you will come with us now." Another man said as he slowly entered the cave, followed by three others.

"Itachi..." Akahana growled. She let go of the Kunai in her hand, instead she unsheathed her Katana. Yugito was already in a battle stance, awaiting the attack from the four black-robed men.

"We actually owe you something Zabuza. We worked well together, just like in the old days, eh." A blue, shark-like man mockingly.

"Just get your rotten fish carcass out of my country, Kisame." Zabuza said, as he turned around to leave.

"Why, Zabuza-sensei? I trusted you! You damn traitor." Akahana yelled in outrage. This man had been her teacher. For nearly a year they had lived, fought and bled together to free Kiri from Yagura. There were few people she truly trusted, Zabuza had been one of them. He had earned her trust. That was the reason why she chose to contact him and not Mei. But now...

Zabuza stopped for a moment. He looked over his shoulder, so he could see the red-haired girl, which he had trained a few years ago. "They came a few days before you sent your message. It was either you or Kiri. As I said, Haku died for you, I won't. Don't take it personal, but I just don't give a damn about what happens to you." With that said, he finally left. He disappeared from the cave and out of her life. Somehow both he and Akahana knew that this would be their last meeting. Though neither knew who would be the first to die.

"Don't even think about resisting, Akahana-san. No one will be able to help you here. Spare yourself the hassle and surrender peacefully." Itachi said with his usual smooth drawl.

"Never. We will never surrender to you murderers." Yugito spat out. Akahana merely nodded, still stunned to silence by Zabuza's betrayal.

"Very well." Itachi replied, before he and the other three Akatsuki members sprung into action, intent on capturing two of the few remaining Jinchuriki.

* * *

Akahana's restless dream came to a sudden end as an explosion rocked the ground beneath her. Outside of her room she could hear the sounds of fighting, the crashing of things being destroyed, the muffled sounds of people yelling. It was definitely getting closer.

Suddenly the door was knocked down by someone. Akahana had to roll out of the way, as the door nearly dropped onto her head.

"Oops. This was definitely not supposed to happen." A female voice said with an almost childish tone.

A moment later a small animal, a fox-kit, jumped through the door frame and into the room. "Akahana-hime. We are back!" The fox exclaimed triumphantly.

"Kurou?" Akahana asked carefully. Though she would never openly admit it, she was very happy to see the little pest that the Kyubi had sicked on her. The little bugger had promised to find help and he had actually succeeded.

"Akahana-sama?" The girl, which had come with Kurou, asked with a slight smile on her face.

"Yes?" Akahana said, slightly disturbed by the way the girl had addressed her. It was easy to see that the girl was an Uzumaki as well, the same red hair, the same aura of strength that all Uzumaki seemed to project. But to hear any Uzumaki talk to her with respect was something Akahana had not expected.

"We have come to bring you home. Your grandfather was most upset when he heard about your kidnapping." The girl stepped closer and knelt next to Akahana. "I'm Hotaru, I am a teammate of your fiancé. Just give me a moment to free your hands and we can leave this dreadful place."

"Hotaru?" Akahana asked carefully. The girl merely hummed to signal that she was listening as she was busy with the shackles. "Who else is here?"

"My team. Arashi-taichou and Naoki. They are currently entertaining your kidnappers." Hotaru chirped happily.

"Please hurry. They have no idea what they are getting themselves into. Tobi is not to be taken lightly."

"Sure, sure. One more twist and... here we go." With a clicking sound the shackles opened and fell to the ground. Akahana rubbed her aching wrists for a moment, before she stood up and turned to face the young woman who had freed her.

"We need to find Honoka and then we will have to get out of here asap. We cannot fight them, not at the moment. Tobi is too strong... I can't fight properly in my condition."

"Yeah... you look like shit..." Hotaru said without thinking much about it at first. "Oops. Sorry, didn't mean it that way really, Akahana-sama."

"It's alright. I do feel like shit... and please, don't call me Akahana-sama, it freaks me out." Akahana said. "Kurou?" She looked down at the small fox, who in return looked curiously. "Can you somehow find Honoka?"

"I'm not a tracking dog. You know why I could find you this easily, but I have no connection to that girl."

"Just try to sniff or hear or whatever."

"Hear? With all that fighting sounds and so on? Very funny." Kurou replied.

"Then come, we have to find her." Akahana ordered sternly before she ran out the room, as fast as her still shaky legs would carry her. Hotaru and Kurou followed her quickly.

* * *

Akihiro was sweating profusely. Not because of any tiring physical work, not because of fighting, but because of his situation. His situation was very precarious. His enemies had followed him, despite all he had done to escape them. He had underestimated those damned Uzumaki.

He had to escape. The Uzumaki will kill him. And even should their attack fail, that accursed masked man would kill him for sure. For failing again, for leading the enemy towards this hideout. This Tobi guy would not tolerate that.

If he wanted to survive, he would have to run. But not without his price. He had come so far, risked and lost so much. He would not go home empty-handed. His teammates deaths would have been in vain. No, he would take what was rightfully his.

So he made his way through the compound, careful not to be seen. He approached the room where the had kept the young Uzumaki girl for the last few days. With her in his grasp, his village would celebrate him as a hero. The one who brought the famed Uzumaki bloodline to his home village. It would give Suna the strength it deserves.

The child looked at him with wide, fearful eyes, as he entered the room. Before she could scream or struggle he knocked her out and grabbed her. Now there was nothing that would keep him here. With Honoka under his arm he began to run, no longer caring whether anyone would see him. Freedom was within his grasp, no one would take it from him now.

It was that moment that two redheads and a fox appeared on the scene. "Akihiro! Stop right there you damn traitor." One of the women yelled at him angrily. He was forced to stop when suddenly a blast of water impacted with the ground before him.

"You will not stop me. Not now. This is my ticket to freedom and you damn whirlpool roaches won't stop me." He rushed through several hand signs with his only free hand, before he yelled out: "Iwa Bunshin no Jutsu"

A gray-brown mass expelled from his mouth and formed several clones of himself. In the end three solid clones stood next to him now, all of them looking menacingly at the Uzumaki's. "Get them. Don't allow them to follow me." Akihiro ordered quickly, before he ran away, Honoka still in his grasp.

The clones sprung into action, quickly approaching Akahana and Hotaru. Within moments the latter was locked into close combat with one clone, blocking strikes, lashing out at the enemy. The attacks with a Kunai did nothing to deter these clones, made of stone they were just as hard and almost impossible to cut by normal means.

Akahana had an even harder time than her current partner. The other two clones had decided to gang up on her, forcing her back, step by step. To add to her misery she was still weakened from Tobi's torture. Endless hours under the influence of the Tsukuyomi had not gone by without leaving traces. She felt weak, tired. But her will to fight has not yet been broken.

The rock clone lunged at Hotaru, aiming for her head with a strong blow that would have been fatal without a doubt. But the attack was slow. Wonderfully fluid and effortless, a shining example of a perfectly executed attack. But too slow to hit the agile kunoichi. In the blink of an eye she twisted her body around, crouching underneath the attack.

In one swift motion she arced back up, bringing her own weapon around, slashing at her enemy with a graceful flourish. But stone was not meant to be shattered by a mere Kunai. The clone had no need to parry the attack, it recoiled from its body, leaving only a small scratch that did neither bother nor hinder the clone. But the almost lazy attitude should lead to the clones demise. The Kunai was no threat, but the following Jutsu hit point-blank, ripping a large whole where the clone's throat used to be. Only a formless brown mass remained now, as Hotaru allowed herself one heavy breath.

Her attention quickly refocused on the other woman who had been with her. Things looked rather grim for Akahana. The two clones had driven her back. Much to Hotaru's surprise the woman she had believed to be one of the most powerful members of the clan, was having a very hard time beating the copies of the man they were after.

"Don't just stand there. Follow Akihiro, he must not escape!" Akahana yelled as she saw Hotaru standing nearby. In this moment of inattentiveness she took a blow to her guts, which sent her down on her knees.

Hotaru was torn, she could either help Akahana and possibly save her or follow Akihiro to safe little Honoka from her kidnapper. Akahana might die, should she leave, but not following Akihiro would also mean to allow him an even greater head start. This time he might even elude them completely. Time was ticking, a decision had to be made.

Akahana rolled backwards to avoid the attacks of her two assailants. She felt drained, so very tired. This was all Tobi's fault. His torture had drained her mentally, but there was something else, something that interfered with her Chakra flow. All she could do was evade until she managed to gather enough Chakra to attack. But suddenly one clone turned back to mud, closely followed by the second.

"I told you to follow Akihiro." Akahana said breathlessly. Moments later she fully collapsed onto the ground.

"I'm sorry, Akahana-sama, but Toshiro-sama's orders were strict. You must not come to harm..."

"I'm fine..." Akahana stated with a displeased frown.

"Obviously not." Hotaru knelt next to Akahana, quickly checking her over. "These wounds are only superficial. Nothing to worry about."

"The bastard did something to me... my Chakra... it feels depleted all the time."

"Please don't misunderstand my actions, but I have to check more closely." Hotaru said, before she started examining Akahana much more thoroughly. "There is something odd here. A seal I believe, but its kinda fancy. I haven't seen anything like this before."

"That rotten bastard..." Akahana cursed angrily. "Kurou!"

"Yes, Akahana-hime?"

"Follow Akihiro. Don't loose him."

"I am not a tracking dog, I told you so before." Kurou said standoffish.

"Just do it!" Akahana snarled at the fox. But Kurou just remained sitting in front of her. "Kurou... find Honoka... please." She said almost inaudibly. There was no way she would let Akihiro get away after what he had done. Not after what he and his accomplices had nearly done to Uzushio. Not as long as he still has Honoka in his grasp. This time the fox complied and ran away to follow Akihiro.

"Akahana-sama, I can't remove that seal on my own. I will need the help of my teammates."

"Then let's hope they can still help us. They've been fighting against one of the most dangerous men in our world." Akahana said carefully. Hotaru pulled on of Akahana's arms around her shoulder and helped her up, but Akahana quickly tried to break free.

"I can walk on my own." She said with insistence.

But Hotaru had no intention to let her walk alone. "Maybe, but this way we will be faster." Akahana, realizing that struggling would do her no good in this situation, obliged the other girl and allowed Hotaru to lead her away.

* * *

Quickly the two young women had reached the courtyard of the compound. What they saw was a scene of utter destruction. Miraculously the only part of the compound that had survived the fight this far was the part they had been in. Though whether this was luck or the caution of the fighters was something they did not know and would most likely never find out. But there, in the middle of the battlefield stood Madara, once more wearing the mask of Tobi, and two shinobi with red hair.

The girls sudden arrival quickly got the attention of all three men. Tobi was the first to look at them, his mask hiding his face, but Akahana could swear he was smirking. "Oh, Akahana-chan, you really shouldn't walk around in your condition. Just give me one moment and I will take you back to your room, where you can rest."

"Just try getting anywhere near her again and I will make sure that you will suffer the worst fate possible." Arashi growled, as he stepped between Tobi and the girls.

"Oh, but Tobi is such a good boy. I would have treated her well, we are the same after all."

"I'm nothing like you." Akahana growled angrily. "Quit acting like a child, we both know how you really are. Just drop dead already!"

"Tsk, such ingratitude." Tobi said with a much more serious voice. He had to jump back, when a Jutsu from Naoki nearly hit him. "For now things might be more interesting with you walking around freely. But do not forget. You and I are the same. Soon you will understand and then you will seek me out and join me." Tobi said sagely. Then he slowly vanished from the place he had occupied before, even the attacks from Naoki and Arashi passing through him now. "I'll be watching your progress in this world. Never forget, I will always be close." And with a dark chuckle he finally disappeared.

"Where is he?" Arashi yelled angrily. "Come out you coward and fight me! Let us end this here and now." He was livid. This man was not just incredibly strong, but he was an enemy of his entire clan. He was the protector of his clan and in that capacity, Arashi would never allow someone like Tobi to run around unchecked. But he knew he couldn't beat him, not at the moment... not yet. But he would eventually. No one threatened his clan... and his family.

Arashi finally looked over to Akahana, seeing her slightly pale, but otherwise seemingly unwounded. But to see her leaning so heavily on Hotaru, to see her vulnerable for the first time, it was odd to him. It didn't fit the image he had of her... but it also made her look so much more approachable. And for the first time in those short few days he knew her, he felt like he should protect her. And he liked that feeling.

* * *

**A/N: So another chapter done. I know, not much fighting and all that. But this fit better then the big fight scene I had written in the first draft.**

**Another scene from Akahana's past, just as I had promised. Well it should be obvious now that Zabuza did not die in Nami, neither did Haku for the matter. Well blame Akahana for that. What exactly happened that day on the bridge is a topic for later chapters. Fact is Zabuza survived and taught Akahana for some time. **

**I believe after this little scene from the past, everyone can see the irony in Akahana's life, considering who she fought for in her past. Being a root spy in both Kiri and Kumo, the two villages that destroyed Uzushio and thereby nearly annihilated the Uzumaki clan.**

**Well the hunt is not over yet. Akahana has been found and saved, but the traitor is still on the run and Honoka still in his grasp. So there is still much to do.**

**Remember to vote on the poll I have on my profile, if you have not done so yet. I will announce the final decision once this arc is over, which should be about 2-3 more chapters. Currently the poll is almost even after the first 100 votes.**

**Enough for today, see you all soon...**


	14. The Hunt IV

**Hola,**

**I know this was a really fast update, I was surprised myself. I actually had a really strange dream and what I remembered from it partly became this chapter... it's weird, I know that, but it works with the chapter length and the story, so I used it. With the shorter chapters it is kind of easier to write something to continue the story. Writing really long chapters always is kinda forced, you know. But enough of this.**

**About the way I write Oops and so words... well blame my native tongue for that. Here we don't write oops but ups and so on... some habits can't be fully ignored... don't be angry because of that...**

* * *

**The Hunt – Part IV**

The moon was still up, as Akahana sat near the dieing embers of the campfire. A few hours ago she had been saved from Tobi's compound, saved by a group of Uzumaki, something she had not expected in the slightest. The clan had yet to be informed about her new position in the main family, so the majority of the clan members would still treat her like an outcast at best. But Arashi and his team had come to safe her. Risked their lives for her. This was most unexpected. Just as unexpected as the respect Hotaru had shown her.

"You shouldn't be up. After all that has happened, you should rest as much as you can." A man said gruffly, as he approached Akahana from behind. She cursed in her mind. Her current lack of Chakra effected her far too much for her liking. Even her perception of her surroundings was faulty. She had not realized that Arashi was here, until he spoke to her.

"I'm fine... mostly at least. He did not much physical torture. The Uchiha prefer... different means of making people suffer." Akahana said calmly, as she watched the last ember die, until the firewood was completely black.

"He will pay eventually." Arashi said, as he sat down next to Akahana, much to her obvious discomfort. "But you were right, you know?"

"Oh. And what was I right about, Arashi?" She asked suspicious.

"That Tobi was a very strong opponent. I have never fought anyone this strong. Not even together with Naoki I had a chance at defeating him."

"He is a monster. There is nothing human about him, except for his looks." Akahana said. In her mind she saw him before her, this Tobi... no Madara Uchiha. The way he looked at her. His words... his voice, filled with so much understanding... No. She shook that thought out of her head. That man was the very reason for all her suffering. It all had started with Madara Uchiha. Even the Tobi she knew only existed because of him.

"Even monsters can die. He will pay for what he tried to do to the clan... and for what he did to you." Arashi said determinedly. "I promise you that."

"He is my responsibility, Arashi. I defeated him once, I will do it again."

"Not alone. Like it or not, but you are stuck with me now. Once we return to Uzushio, with that traitors head of course, Toshiro-sama will publicly announce what has happened. And he will announce our betrothal. We will spend a lot of time together in the near future."

"I still have to prove my loyalty, don't forget that. It will take a very long time until the clan will trust me. Until then we are nothing." Akahana replied defiantly.

A mirthful chuckle was all she got from Arashi at first, but after a pointed glare he relented and said, "You saved Misaki-san, at least that is what she has told Toshiro-sama. And with this entire traitor hunt... let's just say that your fame in the clan will rise considerably. Some will distrust you, that will never change, but the council will see this as proof enough."

"Are you that eager to get married? To me of all people? Our first meeting wasn't really friendly."

"I feel too young to get married, if that is what you think. I'm merely twenty years old, but in these dark times most of us die young. I have the wish to raise a family of my own you know."

"You better not think about me staying home, raising children while you run off on some adventures, or else you will soon be unable to have children at all." Akahana said coldly.

"You sure are an odd one." Arashi said with a chuckle. "Most girls in the clan and Uzushio would do anything to be in your place."

"Then pick one of them. I won't be a dumb fangirl or some goody housewife. I chose to marry you, so I can stay with my family and help my clan."

"And I believe it is that little fact, which makes you the best choice. We started off rough, but we only know each other for about a week. Time will tell how things will progress. I at least realized that hating each other is not a good place to start."

"What in Kami's name are you talking about?" Akahana asked with a confused look. This had to be the oddest conversation in her life. Sure there had been others before that desired her, but never had she been in a situation like this.

"Tomorrow we will try to remove that seal on your back, but for now go and get some sleep. This order is not negotiable." Arashi said with a grin, as he stood up again. "Don't worry, I will guard you until we are back home." Before she could protest, he had already disappeared.

* * *

It was still early in the morning, when Jiraiya slowly ambled through the streets of Konoha. He was in a rather good mood. It was good to be back home, that much was sure. After the tense days in Uzushio he welcomed the calm and quiet atmosphere of his home village. It was as if nothing bad could ever happen to the people here. So unlike the feeling of doom that constantly hung over the warring village he had visited before. Of course the peace was merely an illusion and the situation for Konoha was just as tense as in Uzushio. But with no open wars, the people did not suffer as much under the volatile situation their village was in.

Iwa had just started to arm itself, but Jiraiya was no fool. Sooner or later there would be a war. It could start any day now or maybe it will be some more years, but war would be inevitable. People had started to disappear both in Earth Country and the surrounding regions. Key figures, spies, whole Genin Teams. No one in Konoha could deny that Iwa was preparing for war.

But for today, just for this day, Jiraiya did not want to bother with this. His Sensei, the Hokage, would do that, but he would not. No at this very moment he had something else in mind. Another problem that was just as troubling for him and the Hokage, but not as dangerous... at least he hoped so.

He neared his current target, the Senju compound. Once it had been the home of the proud founders of Konoha and their families. But they were all long dead and the last living Senju avoided this place like the plague. Only the last ward of the Senju Clan remained here. And that ward was young Kushina Uzumaki.

Since they had returned to the village, she had not come out once. She even only spoke once during their return, in the office of the Hokage, during the debriefing. And she only spoke to resign as a kunoichi of the Leaf. She was so deadly serious that no one commented on her decision until she was gone. Of course the Hokage went ballistic because of her decision. But his anger was not directed at her, but at about everyone else in the office, especially her now former Sensei.

But now Jiraiya had something that would hopefully cheer her up a little. Something that would goad her out of the shell she had erected around herself.

With the Senju compound right in front of him now, he couldn't help but frown though. There, at the entrance, stood two ANBU, guarding the place carefully. Jiraiya was sure that there were more of them, but why they were here he did not know. And there was another person, trying to enter the compound, only to be rebuffed by the ANBU in a rather cold fashion.

"You, what do you think you are doing here?" Jiraiya asked. He now stood face to face with one of the guards, but the masked shinobi did his best to avoid answering the Sannin. "Are you deaf? I asked you something. Do you want me to take you to the Hokage for punishment? He is quite strict when it comes to insubordination."

"I am sorry to inform you, but as ANBU we are not under your command." The man replied evenly. But there was a slight tremble in his voice. He obviously feared to anger the Sannin.

"So the Hokage has sent you here?" He did not receive an answer to that question. "So he did not. Well, I'm sure the Hokage can get you to answer... when I take you to him." Jiraiya looked menacingly at the masked man. Oh how he hated this moment. His day had started so well and now this.

Fear finally seemed to get the better of the ANBU. "We are here on direct orders from the council... there is no need to bother the Hokage with this..."

"Koharu and Homura sent you?" The ANBU nodded curtly. "Then let me inform you, my dear friend, that those two have absolutely no say in what ANBU should and should not do. So you all better get the hell away from here, before I really involve my Sensei and make sure that you all get a nice day as test subjects for the Torture and Interrogation Department." Oh yes, scaring them was a good way to make up for the ruined morning. That and he would later go and do some more research for his secret project.

The ANBU hesitated for a moment. He looked around, towards the places where his comrades had hidden themselves, before he finally backed away slightly. "But we were ordered to make sure that the girl does not flee and..."

"Get lost." Jiraiya said with one final growl. The ANBU nearly fell, as he ran away as quick as his feet would carry him. There was no way he would risk trouble with Jiraiya. "And the next time I see you treating my student like this, you won't make it back to the ones who gave you your orders."

"Sensei, that was so cool." Minato said, as he looked at his teacher in awe.

"Thanks, Minato," Jiraiya said as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "But what exactly are you doing here?"

"I wanted to visit Kushina, to cheer her up, you know. But those ANBU wouldn't let me through. Said something about keeping her isolated until they were sure that she is stable... whatever that means."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow in wonder, when he heard this. _So they fear she might get tempted by the demon in her current condition... foolish idiots, they are only making things worse..._ Jiraiya thought.

"What did they mean by that, Sensei?"

"She is currently in a very... bad emotional condition. You know what has happened in Uzushio. It caused her to resign and now people are unsure how it might have affected her." Jiraiya did not like lying to Minato, but it was the only way to keep him from knowing the truth about Kushina's burden. "But I am currently on my way to bring her something that might cheer her up. You can tag along if you wish."

* * *

"Akahana! It's time. We have to take care of the seal now. Kami knows how long this might take." Arashi said as he looked into the tent, which his fiance had shared with Hotaru. The latter had been up for some time now, so only Akahana remained inside.

Arashi expected to see her sleep peacefully, but instead he saw her toss around restlessly, her face scrunched up for some reason. Whatever dream she had, it was not good, that much was obvious to Arashi. He didn't like the way she looked at that moment, so he got closer to shake her awake and end her obvious torment.

"Akahana..." He said softly as he shook her shoulder. At first there was no reaction, but with a sudden jolt the girl bolted up, her eyes wide open. At first she did not realize what was happening around her, before she finally snapped out of whatever dream she had been in. She was relieved, at least she looked like that to Arashi. That was before she realized how close she suddenly was to him. Their faces were so close, their noses nearly touched. But neither of them did anything to increase the distance. Akahana was still slightly disoriented and Arashi found himself rather intrigued with the blue eyes of his fiancé.

"Arashi..." Akahana stammered a bit surprised, before anger took over, "What are you trying to pull? Why are you in this tent?"

"I came to get you, so we can get rid of that seal on your back. But you were unresponsive when I called you, so I decided to wake you up and..."

"It's alright." She said quickly. At the moment she wanted to get out of this tent... and away from Arashi. He was far too close for her liking. She never allowed anyone, neither men nor women, to get this close to her, when she did not know how much she could trust them. Too many had tried to kill her by playing nice, she nearly died once because she was careless. And though Arashi was to be her husband in the future, he was currently little more than a stranger. And she never trusted strangers.

"Don't try to pull that bullshit on me. What kind of nightmare causes someone to toss around like that?"

"It is none of your concern!" She hissed dangerously, but he wouldn't relent.

"It is my business. I demand to know what this was about. Was it a nightmare about the torture you had to suffer through?"

Akahana snorted derisively when she heard the word 'demand'. "You cannot demand anything of me. There are things I will not talk about and you will accept that." She said, before she tried to pull herself up from the ground, so she could leave the tent. But Arashi pushed her back down again, much to her annoyance. She hated feeling powerless, but since nearly everything she knew depended on Chakra, he could easily overpower her at the moment.

"Akahana, you don't have to face this alone. You said you decided to marry me so you can stay with your family and help the clan. But you are part of the clan, too, so let me help you for Kami's sake." Arashi glared at her for a moment, as he pinned her down to the ground. Her defiance seemed to wane slightly, but he would not get answers this day.

"Oops. Am I interrupting something? I can come back later." Hotaru said, as she saw Arashi and Akahana inside the tent, in a rather... compromising situation. The quirky Uzumaki girl smirked when she saw a flustered Arashi, who tried to find the right words to get out of this situation with his dignity intact.

"No, we are done here." Akahana said, as she pushed Arashi away. He was too distracted to react in time, so she easily escaped and left the tent.

"Uhm... sorry?" Hotaru said, as she saw Arashi's annoyed look. "Really, I did not mean to interrupt you, I was just looking for my pouch. I forgot it here when I left earlier and then I saw you two and just blurted that out and..."

"Hotaru!" She stopped mid sentence when she heard him say her name, "Just shut up." He growled, before he pushed past the amused girl, so he could follow Akahana.

Outside Arashi could see Akahana leaning against a tree near the place where Naoki was preparing some scrolls about sealing, which he believed to be useful for his work. With a keen eye she scrutinized everything she could see. To Arashi it was obvious that she no stranger to sealing of this caliber, something that oddly pleased him quite a bit. It would not do for any Uzumaki to lack the knowledge of this art. So far he had not been able to verify how much she knew, but the way she looked at Naoki's work, it showed understanding that needed more than just a solid basis.

"Naoki, let's begin. The sooner we have taken care of that seal, the sooner we can hunt down that traitor." Naoki nodded in consent, before he turned towards Akahana.

"Akahana-sama, I will need unobstructed access to the seal on your back. Could you please... could you... I mean..." Naoki started to stammer when it hit him, what he was about to ask her.

"The little perv wants you to take off your top." Hotaru chirped happily, as she gave Naoki a dirty look. "Don't worry, Akahana-sama, if the perv tries anything it would be my pleasure to make him scream … very high pitched." Naoki shuddered when he saw the glint in Hotaru's eyes, much to her satisfaction.

"Let's get this over with." Akahana said with a sight, as she turned away from Naoki and Arashi, before she pulled her top off. "And stop with that whole sama stuff, it's freaking me out." She set down on the ground, her back facing to Naoki, her hands clutching her top to her chest to protect at least a bit of her modesty. In fact it did not bother her much whether the others would see her this exposed.

She had been raised without certain inhibitions. Being too shy would have been hindering during her missions, a kunoichi had to use her body to her advantage after all. But with these people, her clansmen, she felt like she should act differently. She did not want them to think less of her, just because of what she had been taught in the past. They might misunderstand her. She was no harlot or anything of that kind. She had been taught to seduce and used that training. But she had never allowed anyone to touch her.

Naoki hesitated for a moment, as he saw Akahana's bare back. He was surprised, for all he knew about this woman, she was not what he expected. It was common knowledge that the granddaughter of their clan leader was a seasoned fighter that has lived through much. It had been the center of all gossip in Uzushio. It was the reason many distrusted and even feared her. She was unknown and extremely dangerous. A frightening combination. But looking at her now, she did not look like a fighter at all. She looked... vulnerable. Her skin was unmarred, no scars, no blemishes. Nothing but the pale skin of her back and the seal on it. No one with a past like hers would look like this.

"Stop staring at my fiancé like a piece of meat and get to work." Arashi growled at his teammate. Akahana merely rolled her eyes when she heard Arashi's words, an action which caused Hotaru to laugh merrily.

"This seal is very intricate and powerful, Akahana-sama." He stopped slightly when he heard her mutter something in an angry tone. Though whether it was because of what he said about the seal or the fact that he used the honorific again, he did not know.

"Can you get rid of it?" Arashi asked sternly. He just wanted to get over with this. They had a traitor to kill... and he did not want any stranger, who might happen upon them, to see his fiancé like this.

"I can destroy the seal, but I will need help from both of you." Naoki said, as he first looked at Arashi, than at Hotaru. "It is very powerful and will require a lot of power to destroy. Whoever did this was very knowledgeable in the sealing arts."

"Then it wasn't Akihiro. The damn bastard couldn't even seal away a Kunai without blowing up the room."

"This must be Tobi's work. Please, Naoki, hurry and get rid of this seal. We don't have any time to waste." Akahana said. She wanted her Chakra back, to feel alive again. Without it she felt like only half a person.

"This will hurt a lot. We need to destroy the seal, with more time I would have studied it further to find a better way, but..."

"Just do it. I'm no stranger to pain. I will manage." Akahana replied confidently. She did not see the way Arashi looked at her when she said that. He already knew that he would get his answers from her. Sooner or later she would tell him about her past. This Tobi was just one part of her past and he already was a huge danger to her and the clan. If there was more, he would have to know.

* * *

**A/N: Well this was a tad bit different. I know very short and all and no fighting at all. Well you can see this is sort of a filler chapter. I just wanted this to show a bit more about Akahana's current relationship with Arashi... and of course to give some more information about Kushina.**

**Next chapter there will be some fighting, I promise. And there will be some more time with Minato and Kushina, so don't worry, I have not forgotten them.**


	15. The Hunt V

**Hello, after some weeks of absence I can finally continue this story. I'm sorry it has taken this long to update, but some unforseen events demanded my full attention for the last few weeks, so there was no time to write. Again my free time is severely limited, but I try to update when possible.**

**At this point I really want to thank all the people who Faved my story and those who have left me a Review. It's always nice to see that there are people who appreciate my work. **

**To answer the question from one Review, no I do not really know why the Senju Clan declined so rapidly. My best guess would be to blame the wars and possibly assassinations. Worst thing for other villages to happen would have been another Mokuton User like the first Hokage, so Senju would be pretty high on the kill list.**

* * *

The Hunt – Part V

Kushina watched with great suspicion, as Jiraiya and one of his students slowly approached the main building of the Senju compound. Why they had come, she did not know. But she did not like to see them. All she wanted was to be left alone.

_'Yes, you don't belong here. Not with them. When will you finally run away? Use my power and be free.' _The demon whispered in her mind. Ever since her return, the Kyubi had not stopped talking to her. Whispering those things she wanted, talking about the power she would need to help her family. The power to escape the Leaf, the place where she was unwanted.

Kushina ignored the demons offer. She did not want it... not when she still had some hope that she might succeed in escaping by herself. To her it would make things only worse, should she allow the demon any more influence on her body. She could feel the seal weakening, but as long as she did not use any of the demon's powers, there would be no risk. But should her situation become any more desperate... the demon knew exactly what to say, to weaken her resolve.

The front door opened and the visitors entered the house. Kushina though did not move from her position. If they wanted something, they would have to come to her, not the other way round.

Jiraiya relished the sight before him. It had been so many years since he had last entered this place. Back when he was still a young boy and Tsunade was his teammate, he would sometimes come here to pick her up before training or missions. She mostly thanked him with a whack on his head, but it did not deter him in the slightest. But compared to those calm and peaceful days, this place, the entire compound, looked like a hollow shell of its former glory. Of all the Senju that had lived here in the past, only Tsunade was still alive. War and other calamities had bled the clan out, until there was only one member left. A great shame for Konoha and a reason for the village's enemies to consider attacking them. With one of the greatest clans, a founding clan, nigh on extinction, the Leaf had lost much of its former strength and glory.

"Kushina, where are you hiding?" Minato called out. But of course there was no answer.

He and Jiraiya started to search for the young Uzumaki girl, looking in every room, every nook, until they finally found Kushina. She sat alone in a small room, looking silently out of the window. She looked so lifeless, her face devoid of any visible emotion. Little did they know what turmoil there was, underneath this cold exterior.

"Kushina, why are you hiding yourself like this? No one has seen you since we returned from Uzushio." Minato said worriedly, as he slowly got closer to her. He suddenly stopped dead, when she finally turned away from the window to look at him. The cold aloofness she had projected before melted away in an instant, quickly replace by anger as she glared at the blond boy.

"Do you really have to ask?" She spat. "I should not be here. I am a prisoner in this village. My clan needs me... my family needs me. My mother... my sister... they are all in great danger and I am forced to stay here. All because of that stupid..."

"Kushina, you should not finish that sentence." Jiraiya interjected sternly.

"Why? Why not tell everyone the oh so dangerous secret of the Leaf? It would change nothing for me. I'm an outcast in this village, no one cares about me or what I am."

"That is not true, Kushina." Minato tried to appease her, but only with little success. "I and many others care about whether you are with us or not."

"You never cared, Minato."

"I do. Why don't we take a walk in the village, so I can show you just how many people are worried because of your behavior lately."

"Did the Hokage put you up to this? Did he tell you to come? Of course he has. You barely even talked to me before." Minato recoiled slightly, when he heard the venom in her voice. "No one ever cared about me... no one helped me."

"You always seemed so strong and independent. That is why people left you to your own devices..."

"Shut up. I don't need your lies. Leave me be." Kushina snarled. Minato looked slightly taken back, but he wouldn't give up. He would not give up on her, not as long as he felt like he could help her in some way.

This was also the moment that Jiraiya decided to interrupt, as he saw that the situation might escalate otherwise. Minato tried hard to help her, but she almost seemed offended by his attempts. "Kushina, there is a reason why we have come here."

"Does your Sensei want you to check up on his Jinchuriki?" Minato looked confused as he heard that word. He had no real idea what it meant, but judging by his Sensei's reaction, it had to be something significant.

Jiraiya merely looked warningly at the girl, but got no reaction from her. "We have received a letter from your grandfather." He said, as he pulled out an envelope with a broken seal on it. "He..." Before Jiraiya could finish his next sentence, Kushina had already jumped up and snatched the letter from his hand. Without paying him any attention she returned to her place near the window, the letter already open, so she could read it.

"She's alive... she survived, thank Kami..." Kushina said with a soft voice, a stark contrast to her former attitude. To top it all some tears escaped her eyes.

"Misaki-san has always been strong. I had no doubt that she would survive that wound." Jiraiya said confidently.

"But... it says nothing about my sister... what about Akahana?"

"I have built up a small spy network in the last few years, after the end of the second war. I have them on the lookout, but so far they had little success. But I do know that your grandfather has sent out one of his strongest teams to save her. Have some faith in their strength and skill. They will find her and bring her back home."

_'The home that you are denied!' _They demon whispered mockingly. '_Your sister will have what you are denied to have.' _Kushina tried to ignore that last comment, but it still stung.

"Come with me Kushina, I think we should talk a bit." Jiraiya said. He wondered how he had ended up with this duty. Some people believed him to be unfit to lead a Genin team, and now he was here, trying to reason with a young girl, to convince her to return to her duties as a kunoichi of Konoha. Of cause her own Sensei did not waste a single moment of his valuable time. Stuck up as he was, the Hyuga gave up on her the moment she resigned.

* * *

Groggily Akahana regained consciousness after what she considered a rather forceful nap. Wind blew around her, her hair swirling freely behind her, as she moved... or rather was moved at a fast pace. The last she remembered, was the moment the other Uzumaki tried to destroy the seal on her back... then there was only pain... then she blacked out.

"Nice to have you back with us." Someone near he commented cockily. "You really don't need all that beauty sleep, but you wouldn't wake up."

She shook her head, trying to force her consciousness to return fully. Soon the world moved back into focus and she realized that she was not lying somewhere, but was rather carried on someone's back. A man, judging by the broad shoulders. The short red hair finally gave it away.

"Arashi?" She whispered surprised. She was on his back, her arms drawn around his neck, his hands on her thighs, holding her firmly in place. Her head started spinning again, so she pressed it against his back, hoping to stop the nauseating feeling this way. She could hear his hard beat slightly faster all of a sudden. Had she been able to see his face, she would have seen the red tint on his cheeks. Hotaru had seen it, but said nothing, she merely smirked to herself.

"Sorry about this, but we couldn't wait for you to wake up. We still have a traitor to find and he still has a big head start." Arashi grumbled subdued.

"I'm fine now... let me down, Arashi."

"You sure? I can keep going like this for a few more hours without tiring."

"No, let me down. I want to try something. Maybe it will help us find Akihiro faster." She said more insistently this time.

"Fine, fine. Naoki, Hotaru, we take a short break. Be on your guard." He ordered the other two. All three Uzumaki dropped out of the tress and stopped in a small glade. Akahana jumped off Arashi's back the moment he let go of her. At first she almost fell, before she regained her balance.

"So what now? Any plans on where this guy might be?" Hotaru asked curiously. "So far the trail we followed was less than successful."

"My summon, Kurou, is still following the traitor. He will know where he is." Akahana replied.

"Yeah, but the moment you summon him back, he will loose Akihiro." Arashi had a point, but Akahana had already expected that and thought of the same thing.

"Just pray this will work." She said calmly, before she tried to summon. She had not dared to do it before, the Kyubi's words still ringing in her ears. He had replaced her Toad contract with something more useful. But those things the blasted demon saw as useful, were usually quite dangerous to her. Though there was no need to tell her current companions about this. No need to worry them needlessly.

She made the hand signs for the summoning Jutsu, followed by the large puff of smoke. And as the smoke slowly disappeared, three foxes had appeared before her. All three with pitch black fur and – much to her relief – only one tail. It would have been odd to explain why she could summon what she believed to be the demons kin.

"Akahana-hime, you summoned us." One of the foxes spoke with utmost respect.

"Do all foxes call you princess?" Hotaru asked, her curiosity roused by the strange behavior of the other girl's summons.

"She is the chosen kin of our lord, why should we not treat her as she deserves?" The fox said. It was a rhetorical question, he did not expect an answer.

"Your lord?" Hotaru pressed on.

"Yes, our creator and master, Kur..."

"That is enough. We don't have time to play twenty questions." Akahana quickly interrupted the fox. She really did not want any of them to know about her past connection to the demon. It did not matter, that she never had a choice and was made a Jinchuriki by her own father. She simply believed that people would treat her different, should the truth ever get out. Of course the other three Uzumaki were even more suspicious now, but none of them said a word. Naoki acted as if nothing had happened and Hotaru was busy petting one of the foxes. But Arashi looked at her with a frown and the unspoken promise that he would demand answers later.

"How may we serve you, Akahana-hime?"

"What is your name?"

"We don't have names. You are the first to summon us. It is for you to decide our names." The fox said calmly, as he sat down in front of her.

"You want me to name you?" The fox nodded mutely.

"How about something simple." Hotaru offered, as she knelt next to one of the foxes. "Like... Ichi, Ni and San."

"Ichi, Ni and San?" Naoki asked with a hint of annoyance. "I already pity the children you might have one day." She stuck her tongue out at him, allowing herself a few moments of childishness.

"Fine, we don't have time for choosing meaningful names now. So you will be Ichi." Akahana decided out of pure annoyance. She really did not want to waste too much time here, arguing about names for her summons.

"As you wish, Akahana-hime."

"Arashi, where exactly are we at the moment?"

"Near the eastern border of Rice Field Country. We traveled quite a bit while you were unconscious." He replied stoically.

"Okay. Ichi, I want you to find Kurou, my other summon. He is currently hunting a traitor and we need to know where they are."

"We know of the one you call Kurou, we will have no difficulties in finding him." Ichi replied dutifully, before he turned around and ran away into the wilderness, followed by the other two.

"And you really think this will work?" Arashi asked with a frown.

"It will, trust me."

He moved closer to her, until he was close enough to whisper into her ear. "Trusting you would be far easier, if you would just share some of those secrets you keep." The other two did not hear his words, to them the action of their leader must have looked like an intimate gesture, a close moment shared by two people that are betrothed.

"My secrets are my own, as long as they don't endanger others. Some things about my past should better be forgotten." She hissed back, though her voice lacked any form of anger or sharpness. She tried to move away from him, but a wave of dizziness caused her stumble into him. He quickly grabbed her shoulders, holding her close to support her.

"Are you alright? Have we missed a wound or anything else that bastard has done to you?" Arashi asked worriedly. Hotaru had also come closer, looking worriedly at her.

"I'm fine. I just overestimated the Chakra consumption of the summoning. My reserves regenerate slowly."

"We will rest for now." Arashi decided quickly. "Maybe your foxes will find Akihiro. Naoki, Hotaru, we shall rest. The sun will set soon, so we will stay here for the night."

* * *

Jiraiya watched carefully from a distance, as Minato almost dragged Kushina through the streets of the village. She had been reluctant, though her hostility had died down after she read that letter. He was glad that the good news about her mother had calmed her down. But it still took Minato a lot of effort to convince her to leave the Senju compound.

He had excused himself after some time. He had done everything he could think about, so he left Minato to follow whatever he deemed the best course of action. But judging by Kushina's scowl, the girl did not like his presence in the slightest. But at least he was confident enough in Minato's abilities to leave him alone with the girl.

He had things to discuss with his sensei now... He stopped in his tracks, when he saw the hot springs on his way to the Hokage tower. For a moment he looked at the hot springs, then the tower, then back at the hot springs.

"Well I guess it wouldn't hurt anyone to do some more research... only a little bit more..." He said, before he altered his course and walked towards his favorite place in the village. Everything was peaceful at the moment, so a little bit of fun should be no problem.

* * *

Akahana woke up early the next morning, feeling more rested and refreshed than she had felt in the last few days. She could feel the Chakra pulsing through her body again, not as strong as it used to be, but enough to give her a feeling of safety. It was enough to guarantee her a chance to protect herself.

She looked around their small makeshift camp, seeing the other three Uzumaki around her. Hotaru was already up and running, playing around with a Kunai in what seemed to be a rather fancy experiment with wire. Naoki was not far, leaning against a tree as he watched his surroundings carefully. Well it was his shift at guarding the group, so he just did as he had been told.

And Arashi... he was still asleep, lying not far from her. He had a look of content on his face, that she had not seen on him before. Unlike her, he had no problems with his dreams. Of course none of them had. Not many had survived a live as harsh as hers.

"Akahana-sama, your awake." Honoka chirped happily, as she walked over to Akahana.

"Yes, Hotaru. And please stop calling me Sama, I told you that I don't like it."

"Sorry. Some habits die hard. All children are drilled to show our leading family the utmost respect.

"Just remember it, please." She sniffled slightly, as an unpleasant smell assaulted her nose. "Ugh... I really need to wash myself. Where exactly are we at the moment?"

"Near the border of Hot Springs and Rice Field country." Hotaru replied quickly.

"Oh... I remember this place, I think." And she had indeed been here before. On two separate training trips, the one with the Toad Sannin and the second with Killer Bee. The latter had actually showed her some nice spots to relax, places he went to escape work and his brother, the Raikage. "I think I know just the place."

"I will come with you. Arashi-taichou would not like to have you leave alone." Hotaru said, as she jumped up to follow Akahana. "Naoki, we will be back in a bit. Keep Arashi away from us... and don't peek yourself." The other Uzumaki gave her a blank look, before he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Come, it is this way, I think." Akahana said, as she lead the other girl towards a hidden hot spring.

After a short time they had reached the entrance to a small cave, hidden behind some large bushes. Inside were a few pools, filled with the same water that gave the entire country its name.

"This place is so cool. How did you know how to find it?"

"An old mentor of mine had brought me here. He always said that this is the perfect place to relax after some arduous training." She smiled slightly, as fond memories of her time with the eccentric Jinchuriki returned. Bee had always been good to her, treating her akin to a little sister. He had taught her so much, before he died... died for her sake, so she could end the war.

"Must have been a great person. To find a shinobi who actually cares for the pleasant side of life... must have been nice." Hotaru said with a sigh, as she disrobed and jumped into one of the pools with a large splash. "All the guys I've met this far only act rough and want to train. They don't care for the simple pleasures of life."

"I admit, I never cared much about such things as well. But my mentors changed me. Without some of them, I would most likely be only half as sane as I am now." Akahana said, as she joined Hotaru in the warm water.

"What was your life like, Akahana-sa..."

Akahana hesitated with the answer. She really did not wish to share anything with the people from this time. More importantly she did not wish to relive her past through her memories. But Hotaru did not pry for information to judge her. It was merely innocent curiosity that caused these questions.

"Well... let's just say that it was not nice..." Akahana said evasively.

"It must have been really hard to grow up without the clan. All children in our clan grow up together, so the elders can see who would be suitable teammates later. It's really a blast, being around the other children, playing games and having mock fights just for fun. I'm sure you would have liked it."

"Maybe... but I did not have the fortune of growing up with a family or my clan. I learned to survive at a very young age and lost my childhood in the process." Akahana said quietly. What would have become of her, had she been able to grow up with her clan? Would she have survived the war against Tobi? Would she be stronger or weaker? Would she have been able to have a family of her own one day? At least the latter was something that she would have now, whether she wanted to or not.

"Things will be better now. Once we have killed that traitor, we can go home. And then you will have the life and the recognition you deserve." Hotaru said with determination. "I'll stand by your side all the way."

"But why? You barely know me and the clan hates my very existence at the moment."

"You don't strike me as a bad person and the clan will soon see it the same way." Hotaru replied easily. "And you keep Arashi-taichou in check and anyone who takes him down a peg or two is my personal hero." She giggled slightly after the last part, remembering the way the oh so fearless leader of her team looks at his new fiancé.

"Thank you, Hotaru." Akahana did not know what else to say. It was rare that anyone trusted her just like this. She always had to prove herself first, before anyone trusted her. The chipper Uzumaki girl was only the second person to trust her this easily. The only other person was Kushina.

Hotaru merely smiled, as she heard Akahana's reply. She knew she would like to have this young woman as the new matriarch of the clan. She would definitely change the clan. "But I guess we have to get out and back to the others."

"Yes. Otherwise Arashi might decide to search for us."

"Oh yes, I'm sure he would love to see you like this." Hotaru said with a laugh. "Oh don't look at me like that, there is no reason for you to be ashamed of yourself, others would kill to look like you."

Akahana said nothing, unsure about how to properly respond to Hotaru's words. She must have meant them as a compliment, but people had rarely complimented Akahana without an ulterior motive.

The two young women had barely finished redressing, before they were interrupted.

"I'm telling you, bro, this place is great. I found it while I was traveling with my parents. You will love it!" A young boy, a mere child by anyone's standards, said euphorically.

"Whatever." The other person, a young man with dark skin and blond hair, said unimpressed as he followed the boy. "We usually don't have time for fooling around. Your training is imperative."

"Don't worry, this won't take long and... Oh we are not alone." The boy suddenly stopped dead when he saw the two redheaded kunoichi, who had just finished putting on their clothes.

"Now look at this, you didn't tell me that there would be women here, Bee." The older of the two said. He had a lecherous look on his face, much to Akahana's growing disgust.

"Akahana-sama, be careful. Look at those hitai-ate!" Hotaru growled as she positioned herself between Akahana and the two newcomers. "Those are Kumo shinobi!"

Akahana did not answer. Instead she looked with keen interest at the young man and the boy who accompanied him. She knew them rather well, at least she did so in her past... the future. A, the future Raikage, now merely an adolescent, and his adoptive brother Bee. She wondered whether the boy already was a Jinchuriki at this moment. But she did not realize the dangerous situation she was in at that very moment. She had trusted Bee and greatly respected the Raikage, so she was not immediately alert when she saw their younger selves. It had slipped her mind that she was a kunoichi of Uzushio at the moment... and that Kumo and Uzushio had been at war for at least a decade now.

"Now look what we have here. Two little whirlpool spies. Or are you some wannabe assassins?" A said with a smirk. It was obvious that he did not see them as any real danger. There was a very good reason why people already feared him, despite his youth.

"As much as I would like to knock you off your pedestal, we don't have time to play with the likes of you." Hotaru said, now sporting a rather disconcerting smirk. "Just be a nice little Kumo ass and sit over there while take our leave."

"You better keep your mouth shut, wench. Do you have any idea who you are talking to?"

"A, son and only child of the current Raikage. Currently A-Ranked in the Bingo Books. We know very well who you are. It is rather that you don't know who you are facing."

"An insolent brat and an airhead as it seems." A replied, as he looked at Akahana, who still stared slightly astonished at the two Kumo-nin. He didn't even wait for a response, before he charged at them, a lightning Jutsu already sizzling around his clenched fist.

He faked an attack on Hotaru, only to switch over to Akahana, whom he deemed to be the easier target. In the last moment she woke out of her stupor, narrowly avoiding the lighting infused punch that was aimed at her head. She could feel the electricity on her skin.

There was no time to form any coherent thoughts, her body acted by itself, the years of fighting and conditioning kicking in. As A passed by her, one of her legs swung, in a spinning kick, towards the man. He blocked the ferocious kick, but even a many of his stature could not avoid being knocked back by it.

He staggered, before he fell backwards into one of the pools behind him, disappearing in the warm water with a loud splash.

Disbelieving that this had just happened, Akahana allowed herself to look around for a moment, until her eyes landed on Hotaru. The Uzumaki girl had captured Bee in the meantime. The Bee she knew would have never been capture like this, not alive at least, but the Bee of this time was a mere child, no older than seven years. A child stood no chance against a seasoned fighter like Hotaru. But that would change eventually once the boy grows older.

"Akahana-sama, hurry, we have to leave." Hotaru called out to her. She held Bee in front of herself like a shield, a Kunai pressed to his throat to stop any further attacks from A.

The latter had already managed to jump out of the water again, but abstained from further attacks for the moment. With his eyes narrowed in barely contained anger he looked at Hotaru and Akahana. "If you hurt my little brother I swear that I will make sure that your village and everyone in it will suffer the consequences." He growled angrily.

"Stay where you are and no one has to get hurt." Akahana said calmly. This was definitely not how she wanted to meet the people she once knew and cared for. To think that they were on different sides of a war now... she did not like it in the slightest.

"Bro, don't mind me... I will be out of here in no time and..."

"Shut up, fool." Hotaru silenced the boy, as she started move backwards. Slowly, step for step they would escape this place.

"Do not hurt the child, Hotaru." Akahana snapped at the girl, as she saw Bee squirm in pain. The Uzumaki thought not much about the order. She had no reason to believe that the order was inspired by Akahana's obvious dislike of seeing children hurt. She way she cared about Honoka was reason enough to believe that. Little did she know that Akahana also cared more about the captive than she would ever be able to admit.

"As you wish, Akahana-sama."

A meanwhile looked carefully at both girls, but payed special attention to Akahana now. There had been rumors. He heard the report from Kumo's spies, that there was another heiress of the dreaded Uzumaki Clan. The way the other girl deferred to this Akahana, it implied that she was an important person, more than just a superior in shinobi ranks.

"You!" He pointed at Akahana. "Fight me! Win your freedom with honor, not by taking hostages. Or is the heiress of the Uzumaki Clan too scared to fight?"

"This does not have to end with bloodshed. You are a fool to believe that you can goad me into fighting you with this mocking." Akahana said calmly. She couldn't fully hide the slight sadness that crept up in her voice, but luckily no one had picked it up. Well no one but one young boy. "We will take our leave now, if you know what's good for you, you will not follow us. Know that we are not here to harm Kumo in any way or form." They had reached the exit of the cave now, the sun shining brightly behind them. "Hotaru, release the boy."

"But Akahana-sama!" Hotaru protested.

"Hotaru, do it. We wouldn't be any better than the bastard we are hunting!" Akahana replied with more insistence. Hotaru finally released Bee and almost threw him back at A. The last thing she wanted was to be compared to the traitor.

"Don't follow us, A. This war is ridiculous and serves no purpose. But should you interfere with my mission I will do everything in my power to stop you." Moments later Akahana and Hotaru quickly left, leaving the two Kumo-nin behind.

"Bro... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have allowed that woman to overpower me so quickly. I should have put up a better fight." Bee said apologetically as he looked at his brother. But A did not react. He still looked at the place where Akahana had left. "Bro, are you alright?"

"Yes. Come, we have to hurry back to the village. There are things that need to be prepared."

"Why? What about our training? Does this have anything to do with that woman you spoke to?"

"Bee, you might be too young to understand my reasons, but I want that woman. The Uzumaki have an heiress worthy of that title." He unconsciously rubbed the spots on his arm, where her kick had impacted. Oh yes, judging by that kick he could easily figure out, that the girl was anything but weak. "If we catch their princess, the Uzumaki will have no choice but to submit to us!" The younger boy somehow doubted that this was the only reason for A's interest, but remained silent as they started their trek back to Kumo.

* * *

**A/N: And so the hunter becomes the hunted... **

**Not much to say today, so I just leave it here with a cya soon.**


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